Soul Reaper Survivor
by djewellz
Summary: What happens when you take twenty Soul Reapers and stick them on an island in the middle of nowhere to fight for a huge prize? You get Survivor, of course! Based off the TV show.
1. Introduction

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Bleach or the TV show Survivor.

**Rating: **T, mainly for language

**A/N: **This story takes place in an AU where Aizen, Ichimaru and Tosen never betrayed Soul Society. However, the Espada exist merely because they're necessary for participants. But they're not really considered Hollows in this story. The Vizards exist for the same reason. And yes, Ichigo is a Vizard in this story, and has full control of his inner Hollow. Also, I used an online conversion site for converting American dollars into yen…so I don't know how accurate it is. Hopefully, I'm not too far off.

* * *

**Soul Reaper Survivor**

**Introduction – What the hell is this shit??**

Ichigo sat in the living room of his house, his feet propped up on the coffee table lazily as he flipped through the channels on the TV. It was two in the afternoon on a very quiet and boring Sunday. There was no school, no Hollows, and no urgent developments in Soul Society. Because of this fact, the Soul Reapers who had become some of Ichigo's closest friends were lounging around in his living room, bored enough to come to the world of the living.

Renji was sitting at the other end of the couch, his arm propping his head up; he looked as if he were fighting to stay awake. Ikkaku was sitting on the floor, leaning back against the middle of the couch. Yumichika was sitting elegantly in a chair across the room, inspecting his nails. Rangiku was pressing buttons furiously on a Nintendo DS that Karin had left lying around, apparently playing some racing game. Hitsugaya, looking very bored, was sitting in the only other chair in the room, disinterested in everything. Rukia had been here a while ago, but she had gone out shopping with Orihime. Where was his crazy-ass father, you might ask? He'd taken Yuzu and Karin away for the week to the ocean. Why he'd left his oldest son at home, Ichigo himself didn't even know.

At the moment, Ichigo was attempting to find somewhat remotely interesting to watch. None of the shows he normally tolerated were on. Most of the ones on today looked completely retarded. He would pause on a channel for a minute to see what was going on, and then flip up to the next station to do the same thing. So far, he'd had no luck.

"Hey, wait, what's this?" Renji asked suddenly, leaning forward. "It looks…kinda interestin'."

Ichigo frowned at the TV. "Oh, it's that Survivor show," he explained. "It's an American TV show. They take a bunch of random people and dump them on an island in the middle of nowhere and let 'em fight for a million dollars. That's American money."

"How much is that in yen?" Hitsugaya asked, looking over at Ichigo. While the Soul Reapers didn't use Japanese currency, the ones who visited the world of the living at least knew to use it.

Ichigo multiplied the numbers in his head as fast as he could, thinking. "Um…it's about…one hundred and five million Yen."

"Holy shit!" Ikkaku said, turning around to stare at Ichigo. "You serious?"

"Yeah," Ichigo said. "They have to fight in these things called challenges, too. At first, they're divided into teams, but after a while they all merge together. The challenges are for two things: rewards and immunity."

"Immunity from what?" Renji asked, turning to Ichigo. His eyes kept flicking back and forth to the TV though; apparently, he was interested in this show.

"Every three days, they have to vote somebody off the show," Ichigo explained. "When they're in teams, whichever team loses votes someone off. When they're all together, only one person is immune, and someone else gets voted off."

"Then how the hell do you decide who wins?" Ikkaku asked.

"Well, when it gets down to two people, the last seven people who got voted out come back to vote for a winner out of the final two," Ichigo said. "Whoever gets the most votes there wins the money."

"That kinda sounds fun," Renji said, smirking. "I bet I could whoop those people's asses."

Ichigo snorted. "No, you couldn't," he said scornfully.

"An' why not?" Renji demanded. "These challenges are physical, right? I would do good at those. And people like me, so they'd have no reason to vote me off."

Ichigo sighed. "That's not the point," he said. "Besides, the challenges aren't all physical; they're mental too. And don't forget, you're stranded on an island in the middle of fucking nowhere. They don't give you any food or water. You have to basically survive by yourself."

"What do you get to take with you?" Yumichika asked, putting down his hands.

"Nothing," Ichigo said. "You get the clothes on your back. Well, they give you your tennis shoes if you go in wearing heels or something. And you can bring glasses if you need 'em. But that's it. Normally, they give each tribe a knife, a map to a source of fresh water, some rope, and a boat to get them to the places where the challenges are."

Yumichika's jaw dropped. "Then how do they bathe?" he asked. "And do they wear the same clothes day after day?"

"Well, yeah," Ichigo said. "And they don't…bathe."

"That's disgusting!" Yumichika exclaimed in horror.

Ichigo shrugged. "That's why you want to win reward challenges," he said. "Generally, the rewards are things that you don't need out there, but that you definitely want. Like fishing gear, blankets, lanterns, food, soap and stuff."

"I still don't see what's so hard about it," Renji said.

"Because it's a social game," Hitsugaya said, catching on. "You wouldn't want to vote someone out because just because you didn't like them. If they were one of the people who came back to vote for you in the final two, I doubt they'd be happy with you."

"Right," Ichigo said. "And then there's the fact that it's all about making alliances to get to the final two spots. They often vote out the strong people because a normal person can't compete against them. They also tend to vote out people who are good at manipulating others. Ultimately, it's a game of deception. You have to lie, cheat and sometimes steal to win."

"Doesn't seem like a very nice game," Ikkaku observed.

"It's not," Ichigo said. "But it can be pretty damn entertaining to watch a bunch of idiots run around trying to save their asses. Plus a bunch of them are really un-athletic, so watching them compete in the physical challenges is hilarious."

All of a sudden, Rangiku shrieked in annoyance and threw the game down. All of the others turned to look at her curiously. "That stupid game cheated on me!" she said, pouting.

Hitsugaya rolled his eyes. "It's a video game, it doesn't cheat," he said. "Just because you're not very good at it doesn't mean it's cheating, Matsumoto."

"Aw, but Captain, I wanna play a new game!" Rangiku said, leaning over the arm of his chair. "How about we play that game Ichigo was talking about?" Hitsugaya just stared at her blankly.

"Survivor?" Ichigo asked, surprised.

"Yeah!" Rangiku said. "We could do it with other Soul Reapers! And you could be the host person, since you know so much about it!"

Ichigo looked around at the other Soul Reapers to see what they thought about it. Renji shrugged. "It could be fun," he said. Ikkaku grinned; he looked as if he were going to shit himself, he was so excited. Yumichika looked horrified at the prospect of people signing up to go for two months without bathing and with only one pair of clothes. Hitsugaya only rolled his eyes.

"I suppose we could," Ichigo said. "But we'd have to leave some people back in Soul Society in case something happened." He was beginning to like this idea. "And we'd have to pick the people so that the two teams would be equally physically balanced. Which means Kenpachi is definitely out." He got snickers at that. "But I could get together a couple of people and we could interview people who want to try out. Do you really think the Soul Reapers would wanna do something like this?"

"Are you fuckin' kidding me?" Ikkaku asked. "They'd love this shit! It's perfect!"

"But where would we go?" Ichigo asked. "To like, do the game, you know."

There was quiet for a moment. "There is a tropical island far to the south of Rukongai, in the middle of a giant lake," Yumichika suggested quietly. Ichigo looked over at him, surprised that he was being involved in this discussion. "You could put them there, on opposite sides of the island; it's pretty big."

"Yeah," Ichigo said. "It wouldn't be true Survivor because you all know each other…unless we added in some people who weren't Soul Reapers. I guess we could do that. I mean, you'd all have to leave your zanpaku-tos back in the Seireitei. And you wouldn't be allowed to use kido, or flash-steps, or anything like that. And you'd all have to wear human clothes."

"Why?" Renji asked, frowning.

"Look at the TV, moron," Ichigo said. "There are swimming challenges. You can't swim in a shihakusho. It would be a requirement that you all wear bathing suits under your clothes. And they might as well be sturdy, since they have to last thirty-nine days."

"I wanna do this!" Ikkaku announced, standing up suddenly.

"But what would the reward be?" Yumichika asked. "We're not giving away a vast amount of money or anything. The Head Captain would never approve of that."

Everyone thought about it for a moment. What would you give a Soul Reaper as a reward, when you couldn't give him money…? "Sake?" Ikkaku suggested. "Most of us like a good drink."

"But it's just sake," Rangiku complained. "Anyone can go out and buy sake."

"You mean you guys don't have any other alcohol in Soul Society?" Ichigo asked, surprised. "All you drink is sake?" Ikkaku nodded. "But there's so many different kinds of alcohol. I mean, even I know that, and I don't drink."

"That's still not enough to every Soul Reaper," Hitsugaya pointed out. "Some of us don't care about drinking at all." This made all of them think for a bit. By this point, the TV had long been forgotten.

"Oh my gosh, I totally know what the prize should be!" Rangiku said suddenly, jumping up in her flash of inspiration.

"What?" Ichigo asked.

"The winner will get an already paid-for lifetime membership to the Soul Reaper Deluxe Spa Resort!" she said.

"Um, not to be rude, but guys don't really go for things like spas, Rangiku," Ichigo said.

"No, no, it's not _just _a spa," Rangiku said dismissively. "It has everything! There's a club, a top-notch restaurant, a hotel, an arcade, an amusement park, a spa, a pool, a shopping center and even a dojo! There's everything a person could want inside that building! But it's super-super high-class. Like even Captain Kuchiki can't get a membership there. I think the Shihouin clan can, but even then, they're considered low-class there."

"There are people that rich in Soul Society?" Ichigo asked incredulously.

"Hey, if you got nothing to do for centuries, you might as well try to get rich," Renji said.

"You mean you'd be willing to play this game for that?" Ichigo asked.

"Hell yes!" Renji said. "Anyone would." Ikkaku, Yumichika and even Hitsugaya nodded.

"You'd be willing to forsake food, water, friends, mental sanity, hygiene and possibly your health in order to get a membership to this resort?" Ichigo asked.

Yumichika sighed. "I wouldn't want to do it, but for a membership to that resort, I think that I could manage. It's only for thirty-nine days, right?" Ichigo nodded. "I think I would manage. But who else could you get to join in this game?"

"Well, if I'm going to be the host, then I guess I could get Chad and Ishida to help supervise," Ichigo said, thinking. "Orihime could help with the challenges. Hey, maybe I could get the Vizards to join! But there would have to be a no-inner-Hollow rule. And then there are those weird freaks Captain Aizen created **(A/N: in this story, the Espada were created by Aizen in an experiment gone wrong. They still look like the Espada, only minus the Hollow holes and various pieces of masks).** And maybe we could get Urahara or Yoruichi to help!"

There was silence for a moment as everyone considered what they were going to get themselves into. "Does the Soul Society have TVs?" Ichigo asked.

"Well, there are devices similar to them, but it's not like here in the world of the living," Hitsugaya explained. "Normally, they're just used to link different parts of the Seireitei, for Captains and such."

"Well, what if we filmed you guys, edited it, and then broadcast it on one of those TV things once a week?" Ichigo asked. "I mean, we'd have to go through the entire thirty-nine days first, and then finish editing everywhere. So it'd be a couple of months before we could actually show it to anybody."

"But then someone would've already won," Yumichika pointed out, "and the rumor would inevitably get out."

"No, it wouldn't," Ichigo said. "They always read the votes cast for a winner live, once the rest of the show's already been taped, edited and broadcast. So we'd let everyone see the show, and then a select group could get to see the winner revealed."

"So the two people who made it to the end would have to wait a couple of months to find out who won while the rest of the Soul Reapers are catching up?" Hitsugaya asked. Ichigo nodded. "I like it," the Captain proclaimed. "We could make it a situation where if the Soul Reapers work hard, they could earn themselves a ticket to the live reveal. That way, we might even improve work standards."

"That's my Captain, always coming up with brilliant ideas!" Rangiku said, hugging her Captain into her enormous chest. The Captain yelled at her – the noise muffled, of course – and pulled away, angry and flushed.

"How many times do I have to tell you not to do that, Matsumoto?!" Hitsugaya demanded angrily.

"Oh, but you know I'd never listen!" Rangiku said, giggling. She pulled away though, smiling at her Captain. She looked over to Ichigo and the rest of them. "So do you think it'll work?" she asked.

"Well, we'd have to get approval from the Old Man," Renji said thoughtfully. "I guess some of us could go back and see."

"And I can go see Uryu, Chad and Orihime," Ichigo said. "But you guys would have to be really serious about this. I mean, you're gonna be starving, thirsty, tired, dirty and cranky. And on top of that, you still have to compete in a game. Think you're up for it?"

"You really need to ask, Kurosaki?" Ikkaku asked, smirking.

* * *

Well, that's chapter one. I just got this really random idea a few days ago after watching a Survivor marathon on TV. And yes, it IS my favorite TV show - after Bleach, of course. I just think it'd be hilarious putting the Soul Reapers out in the middle of nowhere and making them fight each other. I haven't decided who's going to win yet...and I'm open to suggestions, lol!! Also, if you have any ideas on a challenge or something, I'd love any feedback!!


	2. Permission

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Bleach or Survivor. I wish I did. Then I would be a very very very happy person.

**Rating: **T

**A/N: **I know that this chapter is somewhat boring, but I had to put it in for the sake of a plot. Because it's hard for me to write stuff without plots because I'm weird like that, haha. Anyways, I want to thank everyone who reviewed for the last chapter. Reviews make me very happy, lol. So, here's the next chapter!!

* * *

**Soul Reaper Survivor  
****Permission – CAN We Do This??**

Captain Hitsugaya knocked on the door to the Head Captain's quarters. A few moments later, the door opened, the first division lieutenant admitting him and the others into the office. Yamamoto was sitting behind his large desk, looking up from the stacks of paperwork that were neatly piled on each side of his clasped hands. Hitsugaya strode forward purposefully, bowing a little when he got closer.

"Captain Hitsugaya, is there something that you needed?" Yamamoto asked.

"Actually, Head Captain, there was something that we," he acknowledged Renji, Ikkaku, Matsumoto, and Yumichika, "wanted to talk to you about. Well, it's really more of a proposition than anything."

"Go on," the Head Captain said, sounding interested now.

"Well, while we were in the world of the living, checking up on Karakura Town, we stopped by to visit the deputy Soul Reaper, Ichigo Kurosaki," Hitsugaya explained. "While we were there, we watched an entertainment program known as Survivor. There was nothing else to do, so we watched it for a while, and it was actually strangely fascinating."

"What is this program?" Yamamoto asked.

"Well, it's a game that's filmed by outsiders, and then edited and shown to the masses for entertainment," Hitsugaya explained. "The basic concept is that you take a bunch of random people and put them in a remote location in the middle of nowhere and let them fight amongst themselves for a large sum of money."

"And what does this have to do with the Soul Society?" Yamamoto asked.

"Well, since there hasn't been a lot of activity lately, we got to thinking that it might be interesting to have a Soul Reaper version of Survivor," Hitsugaya said. "Of course, there are rules, and we'd leave people back here in case something happened. But since we can't go giving away money, we decided that a more adequate prize would be a lifetime membership to the Soul Reaper Deluxe Spa Resort."

"And how do you plan to accomplish this?" the Head Captain asked. Hitsugaya noted, with some relief, that he didn't sound opposed to the idea. Perhaps this wasn't going to be hard, after all.

"Well, Yumichika brought up the island in the middle of the lake in southern Rukongai," Hitsugaya answered. "No one lives there, so we figured that would serve as our location. We would get Ichigo Kurosaki and his friends – the Quincy, Orihime and the giant – to host, monitor, film and edit the filming. For contestants, we would have to let in some people other than Soul Reapers just for variety."

"Variety?" Yamamoto asked, frowning.

"Well, on the human television program, none of the humans know each other," Matsumoto interjected. "But since we all know each other, we can't really stick to that rule!" She smiled.

Hitsugaya rolled his eyes. "Ichigo suggested that we let the Vizards participate if they wanted," he said. "Of course, there are rules that everyone has to follow. No kido, zanpaku-tos, shunpo, shunko, or manifestation of inner Hollows would be allowed. And he mentioned a rule that no one is allowed to physically hit another person, or they're out."

"Interesting," Yamamoto surmised. "But how would you show this program to the masses?"

"Well, we figured that once it's filmed, the Quincy – who's good with technology – could help edit it, and then we could broadcast it on the monitors that Captain Kurotsuchi and the technology department make. We figure that we'll show the program once a week. Of course, the winner is revealed in at live program. So we figured that we could use tickets to see the big reveal as an incentive to make the lower-ranking Soul Reapers work harder."

Yamamoto nodded slowly. "I do not see a reason why this could not happen," he said. "However, I would have to see a compiled list of the rules before I absolutely agreed to anything. I can get you the membership to the spa. How long would the entire process take?"

Hitsugaya was elated that the Head Captain hadn't shot the idea down. "Well, the game itself takes thirty-nine days to complete," he explained. "It would take perhaps a month to edit the show, if we let some of the least outgoing members of the technology department in to help edit. But they'd have to be able to keep the secret. After all, the show would take about fifteen weeks to present the entire program. Plus, Kurosaki mentioned that we'd have to go through cast interviews and such to make such that we get the right people."

Yamamoto nodded. "The Soul Society has been in somewhat of a slump lately," he said. "I believe that this game you're speaking of could help bring life back to our ranks. You have my permission to continue with this."

Hitsugaya sighed inwardly and bowed. "Thank you, Head Captain," he said gratefully. He backed out of the room, the others following him. While he had no plans to participate in this game himself, he did think it would be rather fun to watch. Oh yes, this was going to be fun.

* * *

"So why did you call us all here for, Ichigo?" Uryu asked, pushing his glasses up. "This had better be for a good reason, because you made me miss a sale that I really wanted to hit."

Ichigo rolled his eyes. "Trust me, this is better than some stupid sale on thimbles," he said, making Uryu flush slightly. "Ok, so you guys have all seen that Survivor show on TV right?" He was met with nods. "Well, Renji and the guys were over at my place the other day and there was nothing on, so they decided to watch it for a while. And then Rangiku mentioned that it would be fun to try it out with Soul Reapers."

"That's a great idea!" Orihime said, clapping her hands together.

"Funny thing is, even Toshiro approved of it," Ichigo said, forsaking the Captain's honorific. "So he went back with the others to knock up the old man to see if they could do it. I mean, you guys know that nothing's really happened since we rescued Rukia." Again, there were nods.

"Well, what do you need us for?" Uryu asked.

"Well, they actually want me to be the host, since I know more about it than any of them," Ichigo explained, somewhat embarrassed.

"Oh, you would be a great host, Ichigo!" Orihime said, smiling warmly at him.

"Thanks," Ichigo said. "But I would need more help with that. I figured that we could always get some of the Soul Reapers to help us build the challenges and stuff and film everything. But I would need you guys' help in producing the show."

"How?" Chad asked quietly.

"Well, I figured Orihime and you, Chad, could help come up with the challenges," Ichigo said. "Orihime, you're pretty creative, and Chad, you've got the brute strength to help build things." Chad and Orihime nodded. "And Uryu, I would need your help editing the show and choosing the contestants."

"Who's allowed to participate?" Orihime asked.

"Any of the Soul Reapers who want to, the Vizards, and those weird freaks Aizen created, like Grimmjow," Ichigo said. "Instead of money being the prize, Rangiku suggested a lifetime paid membership to some fancy spa that they have in the Soul Society. Apparently, it's so high-class that even Byakuya can't get in." Eyes widened at that. "Of course, we have to leave most of the Captains there in case something happens."

"Where do you plan on filming them?" Uryu asked.

"Yumichika suggested this island south of Rukongai," Ichigo answered. "Apparently, it's tropical and big enough that we could just have the two teams live on opposite sides of it, meeting in the middle for challenges and tribal council."

"This sounds like so much fun!" Orihime said. "I can't wait to come up with challenges! Can you, Chad? Oh, we should do a food challenge where we make the food extra, extra spicy and see who can eat it the fastest with no water!"

"So you'll help me out, then?" Ichigo asked hopefully.

"Of course!" Orihime said. "We're a team!"

Chad nodded.

Uryu sighed and pushed his glasses up. "I guess it could be entertaining," he said.

"You know, we need someone to design the flags and buffs," Ichigo suggested slyly. "And while my own sewing skills are good enough-"

"Shut up, Kurosaki," Uryu said, his eyes flashing. "I'll make your flags and buffs. But first, I think we should write out a list of rules to explain to everyone. And then you and I need to come up with ideas for the teams. When do we leave for Soul Society?"

"As soon as you want to," a voice said from the open window. They all looked over to see Urahara sitting lazily in the window, fanning himself. Once again, Ichigo found himself wondering how the man always managed to creep into windows without anyone else noticing him. Was Urahara secretly a professional criminal? Somehow, the thought didn't surprise him. "The Soul Society just sent a messenger over saying that it's been approved on their end. They're just waiting for you guys now."

"Okay," Ichigo said, nodding. "How about we all pack the clothes we're going to need, as well as anything you might think of. We'll meet at the Urahara shop in two hours."

* * *

Once again, I know that this chapter was short!! I'm sorry!! But it had to be there, or else they'd be filming the show illegally. Not that I have a problem with that, but you know those guys in Soul Society. Legal suits and the like. And the next chapter will probably be short too...but I might upload the next two chapters together since the first one's only like one page in Microsoft Word.

But I have question!! Okay, so, so far, I've written out the story through the end of episode one. And episode one is like...really really really long. So, should I split it up into two parts or just leave it as one big part? If I split it into two parts I'd still upload them together. I just don't know if some people hate reading really really really long chapters. Oh, well, just tell me what you'd prefer, if you even care at all, lol!!


	3. Explanations

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Bleach or Survivor. I just stuck them together.

**Rating: **T

**A/N: **Alright, well, here's chapter three!! I know that's it's really really short. I have chapter four ready, so if you guys want me to upload it later tonight, just tell me!! Also, again thanks to everyone who reviewed! I love reviews and they seriously make me ridiculously happy.

* * *

**Soul Reaper Survivor  
****Explanations – No, Kenpachi Isn't Participating**

Ichigo stepped up onto the stage where he was going to explain the rules for the upcoming edition of Soul Reaper Survivor. After talking with Uryu, they'd managed to come up with a good list of rules for the game. They needed to explain to everyone what the game was about, and then hopefully people could come in to try and audition for the game. As soon as he stepped forward, there was instant silence.

"Okay, everyone, listen up!" Ichigo said in an echoing voice. "As you know, we're gonna be holding a game here in Soul Society based on a game in the world of the living. It's called Survivor, and basically it's all about who can survive the longest. There are gonna be physical and mental challenges to compete in. Plus, you are going to have to find your own food and build your own shelter. Everyone's gonna get a chance to try out if they want to participate, but you all have to know the rules beforehand." He unfolded the piece of paper the final rules had been printed up on. "Listen up!"

"1. You are going to be stranded on an island in the middle of southern Rukongai. You are not allowed to bring anything with you, other than the clothes on your back, glasses and medications if necessary, and athletic shoes. It is suggested that you wear a swimsuit underneath your clothes because of being near water. Shihakushos are not allowed for the same reason.

"2. While on the island, you are not allowed to physically hit anyone. If you harm anyone in an environment other than a challenge, you will immediately be removed from the game.

"3. The prize is going to be a paid lifetime membership to the Soul Reaper Deluxe Spa Resort. You are not allowed to conspire to share the prize. You will be filmed at all times by men from the Technology Department. They _will _catch you, and you will be removed.

"4. Any use of zanpaku-to's, kido, manifestation of inner Hollows, shunpo, or shunko will also result in your expulsion from the game.

"5. And finally, while you are out there, you may quit at any time. However, if you quit, you will have to stay on the island until the entire game is finished with. Again, we are going to be on an island. We will have to take a boat to get there. Once you're there, you're going to be there for thirty-nine days, whether you're in the game or not."

Murmurs of excitement, adrenaline and raw emotion began to concentrate throughout the crowd. Most of them were excitement, though. "We are going to be holding open auditions for anyone who wants to participate, Soul Reapers, Vizards, or the freaky guys Captain Aizen accidentally created in his experiments. However, the contestants will be varied.

"In the beginning of the game, the contestants will be divided into two teams of ten, each with five men and five women," Ichigo continued. "The men and women are going to be hand-selected so that each team is roughly equal in strength and intelligence. Because of that, no, Captain Zaraki is _not _going to be participating." There were sighs of reliefs and cheers at that statement. "The show is going to be filmed, edited and then broadcast here in the Seireitei once a week. The winner isn't gonna be revealed until the show's ended, in front of a live audience. You all have a chance to get tickets to be in that audience, if you work hard enough to get your Captain or Lieutenant's attention.

"Auditions are gonna be held today and tomorrow. Think hard before you sign up for this. You will have very little food, water, contact with the rest of Soul Society and shelter for about five weeks. This is not for everyone."

* * *

Yeah, I told you it was short, lol. And I know that Ichigo sounds a bit OOC here, but there's a reason for that!! He's reading the rules off a list that Uryu typed up, and I figured Uryu to be a stickler for grammar rules and stuff. So, if you want me to update again later on, just let me know and I'll put it here!!

* * *


	4. Auditions

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Bleach or Survivor. I just stuck the two together.

**Rating: **T

**A/N: **Okay, you guys convinced me!! Here's chapter four. I had fun writing this one. Captain Kyoraku is just so fruity he makes me laugh every time I see him. Thanks again to everyone who's reviewed!! You all make my day!!

* * *

**Soul Reaper Survivor  
****Auditions – No, Captain Kyoraku, You Can't List Sake as a Necessary Medication**

Ichigo sat at the desk in the room where he was handling auditions. He'd already gone through hundreds of Soul Reapers, most of whom he didn't know, and most of whom he knew he wasn't going to let be on the show. He hoped Uryu was having more luck than he was having. He sighed as the next person entered the room. He didn't even look up as they pushed their filled-in application forms to him. He blinked when he saw the name on the paper. "Rukia?!" he asked, surprised.

He looked up. Rukia was sitting in the chair on the opposite side of the desk, her arms crossed over her chest. She lifted an eyebrow at his dumbfounded expression. "What?" she asked. "It's an open audition."

"Yeah, but I didn't think you'd wanna do something like this," Ichigo said. "Oh, well. Why do you wanna be in the game, specifically?"

"Well, I mean, of course there's the prize," Rukia said. "But I would still want to be in this, regardless. I've always wanted to do something like this ever since I saw this show for the first time in the world of the living. You said that I couldn't do it, so I'm going to do it to prove to you that I can do it. That and the fact that I have to beat Renji."

"Don't worry, I don't think you're gonna have a problem there," Ichigo said, smirking. "What do you think would make you useful for a team? What can you do to survive?" He felt somewhat foolish for asking these questions, but he and Uryu had agreed that everyone would have to answer them.

"I grew up in Rukongai, you idiot," Rukia said. "I know how to survive. I'm pretty quick too, so I think I would be an asset in these challenges you talk about."

"Do you have a basic strategy to win the game?" he asked.

"Why would I tell you that?" Rukia asked, narrowing her eyes.

"Because I'm the one who decides whether or not you get into this game, moron," Ichigo snapped. "Besides, I'm gonna be the host. I'm not gonna tell anyone your strategy. And don't tell me your entire strategy; just give me a basic idea."

"I think that I'm gonna have to rely on myself," Rukia said simply. "I'm not above lying or cheating to win. If I have to be sneaky and use tricks to win, then I'll do it, and do it well. I am going to win this game."

Ichigo blinked; that was…an interesting strategy, but at least she wasn't planning on just going with the flow, as lots of the others interviewees had planned on doing. "Okay then," he said. "Do you plan on making any alliances?"

"Of course, you have to," Rukia said, looking at him like he was an idiot.

"Why would people choose to keep you over someone else?" he continued.

"Because I'm small and sweet," Rukia said, smiling. "Once the two teams merge into one, I don't pose as much of a threat as some people will, but I'll still be able to hold my own. Plus, I'm funny and I know how to make friends quickly."

Ichigo snorted, and she hit him on the side of the head angrily. "What was that for?" he asked, glaring at her.

"You know what it was for," she said coldly. "Is that all you need?"

"I think that's all I'm gonna risk asking you," Ichigo said. "Just go on and go. I have to interview more people."

She stood up and left the room without much noise. He sighed in relief and filled in a few portions of the application. He then moved it to the side and placed it on a smaller stack of papers that held the applications of people who might be picked. The bigger stack held the applications of the people who were complete retards and wouldn't be selected. "Next!" he called out.

If he thought Rukia was bad, he shouldn't have looked up at the next applicant. "Grimmjow?!" he asked in disbelief. "Why the hell would you want to win a membership to a Soul Reaper resort?"

Grimmjow sat down in the chair and sprawled out lazily, putting his hands behind his violent blue hair. "Because I can," he said. He nodded to the application he'd put on Ichigo's desk. "Ya gonna take a look at that?"

"You really think you can go thirty-nine days without blowing up and hurting someone?" Ichigo asked.

"Of course I can, you bastard!" Grimmjow said, clenching his jaw. "I do know how to control my temper, unlike you!"

"Oh, yeah?" Ichigo asked, his anger rising.

"Fuck yes!" Grimmjow said. "Now just ask me the fuckin' questions!"

"Fine," Ichigo said, deciding that getting angry over Grimmjow Jaggerjack wasn't worth it. "Why do you wanna be in the game?"

"So that I can win," Grimmjow said.

"Why would you be useful to a team? What can you do to survive?"

"Dumbass, I'm stronger than anyone here in the Seireitei, except for that Kenpachi guy, and he's not gonna be there," he said. "And I guess I could kill somethin' for food. But I'm strong, and that's the main thing."

"Do you have a basic strategy to win the game?"

"Duh, just win everythin' so the fuckers can't vote me off."

"Are you gonna make any alliances?"

"Why the hell would I do somethin' like that?" Grimmjow asked. "If I win everythin' then there's nothin' they're gonna be able to do about me. I don't need to make any fuckin' alliances. I'm a one-man army."

Ichigo blinked; was this guy for real? He shook his head. They'd fought first-hand, after all. He really was just this stubborn, stupid and arrogant. "Why would people choose to keep you over someone else?"

"Because I'm strong," Grimmjow said, repeating himself again. "With me on their team, they can't lose."

"What if it's a mental challenge?" Ichigo asked, snickering.

"Shut up, bastard," Grimmjow said threateningly. "I'm not an idiot."

"So you think," Ichigo muttered. "Do you plan on using flirtation as a weapon out there?"

"Well, if there are some hot chicks, I might do some flirtin'," Grimmjow replied, smirking. "But I'm comin' out here to win, not to get a girl. I can do that any day with my eyes closed."

Ichigo rolled his eyes. "Okay, then, that's all I need," he said. "Go on." Grimmjow got up and sauntered out of the room. Ichigo sighed as soon as the blue-haired man was gone. Would the lunacy ever end? However, Grimmjow was a good competitor and a character. He'd have to go in the "maybe" pile. "Next!"

"Aw, I got young Kurosaki," a delighted voice cooed from the doorway. Ichigo looked up to see that fruity Captain with the alcohol problem strolling in the door – a bottle of sake in his hand no less. "Glad I got to see you over the stiff Quincy boy." He sat down, putting his application forward.

"Um, Captain Kyoraku?" Ichigo asked as the man took a drink of sake. He hoped that he'd gotten the guy's name right.

"Yes?" the Captain asked.

Good, he'd chosen the right name. "How are you gonna handle not drinking for thirty-nine days?" Ichigo asked carefully.

Kyoraku blinked. "There's no alcohol?" he asked.

"There might be some as a part of a reward, but at the most, it'd be like one bottle per team," Ichigo explained. "And you'd have to share. You don't get to drink it every day."

"Well, why not?"

"Because it's a game about taking everything pleasurable away from you," Ichigo said slowly. "You're gonna be eating very limited food supplies, only drinking water. You only get one pair of clothes and your swimsuit. Besides, alcohol isn't good on your body when you're malnourished."

Kyoraku thought about it for a moment. "But you see, I'm an alcoholic," he said, thinking up a brilliant plan. "So you see, sake is my necessary medication. By the rules you listed earlier, it's perfectly legitimate."

"Captain Kyoraku, sake is not a necessary medication," Ichigo said. "I don't think you could handle not having any alcohol for that long a period of time."

"I'll find a way," Kyoraku said. He leaned forward conspiratorially. "You see, I need to win this membership so that I can give it to my sweet Nanao-chan. She's been wanting to go to that resort ever since she was able to crawl, but she can't because she's not very rich. So if I give this to her, she'll love me and invite me along with her."

Ichigo blinked. "So that's the entire reason you wanna go on the show?" he asked.

"Yes," Kyoraku said. "And if she doesn't accept it, then I'll just go myself. There are sure to be plenty of beautiful women there!" He chortled happily to himself.

"Well, why would you be useful to a team?" Ichigo asked.

"I can think outside the box," Kyoraku said.

Ichigo chose to ignore that. "What's your basic strategy to win?"

"Become the leader of the women and lead an alliance to the end!" Kyoraku proclaimed.

"So I guess you're definitely interested in alliances?"

"Naturally," Kyoraku said. "My forte is my social prowess."

"Uh-huh," Ichigo said, not convinced. "Why would people choose to keep you over someone else?"

"Because I'm hilarious, of course," Kyoraku said. "And if I was in an alliance, they wouldn't be in a position to argue with me."

"Okay," Ichigo said. "That's all then, thanks for your time."

He waited for Kyoraku to leave before putting his application in the "no" pile, shaking his head.

* * *

Oh, Captain Kyoraku. He cracks me up. Anyways, I know that there's not been an actual episode of Survivor yet, but I have to get all this stuff in so I can set everything up. But believe me, I've got a lot of good things planned for the whole season!! Still haven't decided who's winning yet...I think I'm just going to let the Survivors decide for me. They take over when I write, and sometimes I can't control what they do. Anyways, lol, thanks again for all the reviews!! Keep 'em coming!!

* * *


	5. Compilation

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Bleach or Survivor. I just stuck the two of them together.

**Rating: **T

**A/N: **Okay, okay, so I know that I just updated this last night, but I'm getting kinda bored just uploading the preview chapters. So I'm gonna put this chapter up now, and chapter six later tonight. And then tomorrow I'll upload episode one - all ten thousand words of it, lol. Anyways, again, thanks to all those who reviewed!!

* * *

**Soul Reaper Survivor  
****Compilation – The Beginnings of War**

Ichigo collapsed on the floor of the house Soul Society was currently renting him, Uryu and Chad. He was exhausted, having dealt for the past two days with clueless Soul Reapers who were auditioning for a game that was much tougher than any of them could anticipate. He'd only managed to come up with about twenty people who he _might _let be on the show. Key word: **might**.

Uryu made an amused noise from his position on the couch. Ichigo looked up from the floor, not bothering to push himself up at the moment. The Quincy was sprawled out on the couch, surprisingly dressed in a pair of pajama bottoms and a white undershirt. His glasses were threatening to fall off his nose, but he was making no attempt to push them up. "I guess from your current position that you're as tired as I am?" he asked.

Ichigo snorted. "Yeah," he said. "I expected Soul Society to have some quacks, but I didn't think there were _this _many screw-ups. I think I only came up with about twenty people we could actually use. How about you?"

"I fared about the same," Uryu said, pointing to the stack of papers on the coffee table. "I don't even want to look at them right now."

"Me either," Ichigo said. "How about we look at them in the morning?" He looked around, suddenly realizing that Chad wasn't there. "Hey, where's Chad?"

"He's not back from talking with Orihime about challenges," Uryu explained. "She's staying with Rukia, you know. As large as I suspect Captain Kuchiki's mansion is, he might end up sleeping over there in a spare room. It's already pretty late."

"Yeah," Ichigo said, wearily pushing himself up. "I dunno about you, but I'm going to bed. Thank god the interviews are finally over."

"For once, I think we agree on something, Kurosaki," Uryu said, smiling.

* * *

Ichigo woke up late the next morning, feeling much better and fully rested. He stretched out a bit, and then sat up, rubbing his eyes. Looking over at the clock on the bedside table, he saw that it was almost ten o'clock. He was surprised that he hadn't slept later. With a shrug, he got up and trudged over to the bathroom, which connected his and Uryu's bedrooms. It was empty at the moment, so he hopped in the shower cubicle and got himself clean.

After toweling his hair dry, he changed into a pair of comfy sweatpants and a white tank top, ready to get something to eat. To his surprise, he found Chad sitting in the kitchen, looking over several sheets of paper that were spread across the table. He looked up as Ichigo entered the room and raised a hand in greeting.

"Hey Chad, when did you get in last night?" Ichigo asked.

"This morning," Chad corrected him. "I stayed over at the Kuchiki mansion last night."

"Were you there that late?" Ichigo asked, surprised. Chad nodded. He busied himself with getting out a frying pan and the ingredients to make pancakes. **(A/N: Since I know nothing about Japanese food, I'm just using American food)** "So, are you and Orihime coming up with any ideas for challenges?"

"Most of her ideas are good," Chad said quietly, "but I've had to tone them down a bit."

Ichigo snickered at that. As much as he liked Orihime, he knew as well as anyone that she could be a bit over-the-top sometimes. "Do you think you'll be able to build them all in time?" he asked.

"The sketches we've drawn out aren't complicated," Chad said. "I can do it."

Ichigo walked over to the sketches on the table, and snorted upon seeing them. They were relatively good, until you got to the part where the people were drawn, to show what happened. They weren't even people; they were rabbits, with mildly scary faces and clothing. "Who the hell drew these?" he asked.

"Captain Kuchiki," Chad said simply.

"WHAT?" Ichigo asked, shocked. He had known that Rukia couldn't draw worth shit, but to think that Byakuya Kuchiki drew like that too?? It was just too much. "Are you serious?" Chad nodded. "I never would've thought Byakuya had an artistic streak." He snickered. "Especially such a horrible one."

Just then, Uryu stumbled into the kitchen, his hair still semi-wet. "Oh, hey, Chad," he said groggily. He squinted – his glasses absent – to see what Ichigo was doing with the frying pan. "Are you making something to eat, Ichigo?" he asked.

"Yeah, I was gonna make some pancakes," Ichigo said. "Want some?"

"Sure, thanks," Uryu said, sitting down at the table. "I'm so exhausted. I wish I could've slept in some more."

"How about you put your glasses on and make some coffee?" Ichigo asked. "Give yourself a good jolt in the ass."

"Shut up, Ichigo," Uryu said, though he did as Ichigo suggested. He made the coffee quickly and took a few sips, relieved as the caffeine instantly woke him up. He'd never admit that Ichigo had actually had a good idea for once. He watched as Ichigo split up the pancakes and put them on two plates. "So how are we going to choose the contestants?"

"Well, we know there are gonna be two teams," Ichigo said. "So we need to make sure that both teams are relatively equal in terms of strength. But we also need to choose people that stand out."

"Didn't we basically cover that last category with all the interviews?" Uryu asked, accepting a plate of pancakes from Ichigo and lightly covering them in syrup. "The _only_ people I picked were those who stood out."

"Yes, I guess I did the same," Ichigo said through a mouth full of pancakes. "But we need to come up with teams first. What are the names and colors of the two tribes gonna be?"

"Something bright," Chad interjected from the table. He was busy making changes to the diagrams with a blue highlighter and writing down notes on the sides with a black pen.

"Chad is right," Uryu said. "I would suggest something like bright red and perhaps neon orange."

"Hey, what about Uzukutora?" Ichigo asked. "Isn't that a cool name?"

"That's not a very good traditional Japanese translation," Uryu said. "But I get the gist of what you're going for. Except for the fact that the movie Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon was Chinese. But I suppose that will work. Uzukutora can be the orange tribe. And Shireyu can be the red tribe." (**A/N: Uzukutora is a purposefully bad Japanese combination of "crouching" and "tiger"; Shireyu is the same thing with "hidden" and "dragon". I know they're bad translations. But hey, I don't know much Japanese other than I've taken from Bleach...which is basically yes, no, yeah, thanks, sorry, captain and vice-captain. But the names sound cool, and that's the important part, lol.**)

"That's not a very good traditional Japanese translation, Uryu," Ichigo said, mocking Uryu's voice in a very high falsetto. The bespectacled boy glared daggers at him, which only made him snicker. "Anyways, the merge color can be blue."

"I can start working on the buffs and the flags once we're done dividing the tribes," Uryu said, putting his now empty plate down in the sink. Ichigo's soon joined him. "But I think that we should go over the possible contestants now." He moved into the living room, Ichigo following him reluctantly. Somehow, he had a feeling that this was either gonna go really good or really bad.

Uryu handed him the stack of papers that had been his. Ichigo handed Uryu his own findings, and they each sat down to review the other's choices. After reading one name, Ichigo had to protest; was the Quincy out of his freaking mind? "Uryu, why the hell is Captain Ukitake in this pile?" he asked. "The guy's sick! He can't possibly participate like a normal person! He'll have one of those attacks and bleed to death!"

"He has good leadership skills and he's apparently one of the best Captains, socially," Uryu countered coldly. "And some of your choices are rather odd, too. Kukaku Shiba? Since when was she even allowed to enter?"

"Hey, she barged in and demanded that I take her application," Ichigo said defensively. "And you know what it's like to have to deal with that woman." He shuddered. "Besides, she's…interesting. She might be good."

"Only if we keep her away from fire," Uryu muttered under his breath. They read the rest of the application forms without further comment. When they were both done, they sat the papers down and began to discuss who to select, and in which of the two tribes to put them in.

"I definitely wanna see Renji and Rukia both go out there and try to survive," Ichigo said, gleeful at the thought of seeing two of his friends stranded on an island with nothing to do and nothing to eat. It was going to be priceless! "But I don't think we should put them on the same tribe. Make them fight against each other first."

Uryu nodded. "I agree," he said. "And I think we should do the same with Ikkaku Madarame and Yumichika Ayasegawa. Ikkaku can go on Rukia's tribe and Yumichika on Renji's. We have to separate them." He plucked up another application. "This one was surprising. Nanao Ise, the lieutenant of squad 8. She's supposedly pretty strict, cold and has a no-nonsense policy. She'd either be the first one off or a strong competitor."

"Huh, so that Captain Kyoraku's Nanao," Ichigo said, studying her profile picture. She wasn't bad looking, but she didn't seem like the guy's type. "Yeah, she's good for variety. Put her on Renji's team." He looked around at the pictures, selecting one that stood out. "Ah, here's one. Hiyori Sarugaki, a Vizard and a devil if I ever saw one."

"What's she like?" Uryu asked, looking at her profile.

"She's basically Ikkaku combined with Tatsuki," Ichigo said. "On crack."

Uryu's eyebrows rose. "In that case, I think she's a must, as well as this Grimmjow person you selected. They both seem like fiery, strong-willed and stubborn people."

For the next hour or so, they debated between contestants and what to do. They finally managed to come up with two teams. Ichigo was rather proud to be honest; they'd accomplished making the team relatively equal in terms of physical strength. He wasn't sure about them mentally, having only briefly met most of them and some of them not at all. He leaned back in relief once they were done.

"Alright, so that part's done," Uryu said, sighing. "Now I need to go buy the fabric for the buffs and the flag. Why don't you go and buy the supplies they'll receive once they get there – like the machetes, and stuff to make the maps to water with – and we can write up a letter to each of them telling them they've been selected."

Ichigo blinked. "Dang, Uryu, you're pretty good at this organization stuff," he said, grudgingly appreciative. "How'd you learn to do all this?"

Uryu glared at him. "I've been working with idiots for a long time, Kurosaki," he said. "Besides, not everyone is as scatterbrained as you."

Ichigo's habitual scowl deepened, but he let it go. It wasn't worth it.

* * *

So that's chapter five. You'll have to excuse my horrid Japanese translations. I know they're bad. But hey, I speak two languages and neither of them is Japanese. My mom took it in college, but all she told me how to say was Big Mac and toilet paper. Lol. That would work well if I ever went to Japan. NOT. Well, maybe I'd be able to visit McDonald's. Anyways, like I said at the top, I'll upload chapter six tonight and then episode one premieres tomorrow!! Review if you so wish!

* * *


	6. Instruction

****

Disclaimer:

I do not own Bleach or Survivor. I just stuck them together.

**Rating: **T

**A/N: **Okay, then, this is it!! The last preview chapter before the real episodes begin!! I know that's it's a lot of preview stuff and that this chapter is basically just a reiteration of the rules to the contestants...but I had to put it in there. But next chapter will be an episode!! And since most people suggested that I keep it as one long chapter, I'm not going to split up the episodes until I get to the finale. Because otherwise that chapter would seriously be twenty to thirty thousand words. As always, thanks again to all the reviewers!!

* * *

**Soul Reaper Survivor  
****Instruction – What NOT to Wear**

Ichigo surveyed the twenty contestants that they'd chosen for the edition of Soul Reaper Survivor. They hadn't begun filming yet. Uryu, Chad and a bunch of people from the technology department had already gone to the island to start setting up for the beginning stages – selecting campsites, making the tribal council area and finalizing plans. That left Ichigo and Orihime to instruct the contestants on what they needed to choose clothing-wise as well as reiterate what they were getting themselves into.

All twenty people were chatting amongst themselves nervously, excited that they'd been picked and anxious, since they had no clue as to what was going to happen. Ichigo cleared his throat to get their attention. All the eyes in the room turned to him, except for Orihime, who was busy writing down combinations of bizarre foods to try out for her "spicy" food challenge. He only hoped that she wouldn't have him try things out.

"Okay, you guys," Ichigo said. "First of all, congrats on getting picked. You all were chosen because you have distinct characteristics that make you all different. However, in all of your interviews, the one thing you all shared was a desire to win. We've already divided you into teams, but you won't know what teams you're on until you get to the island. Today's meeting is to give you some heads-up on what's gonna happen in the next few days.

"First of all, you guys are all gonna want to go out and buy some human clothes," Ichigo stated. "It is mandatory that you bring a swimsuit and wear it, whether it's under your clothes or stuffed in a pocket on your pants or something. There are swimming challenges and you will be in a tropical environment. It's going to be hot. But on the other hand, nights can get pretty cold. So you need to wear some clothes that can keep you warm if you need them. Basically, you go into the game with whatever you're wearing; if you're wearing three layers of clothes, that's fine. Wear what you think you'll need."

"Excuse me?" Rangiku said, raising her hand. "Should we buy a one-piece or a two-piece?"

"Well, it's up to you, but if you think you might, um, lose your top during a swimming challenge, you have to decide whether or not you care about being exposed like that," Ichigo said, flushing slightly. Rangiku shrugged. "Also, we've decided that full-on nudity is prohibited." There were snickers at that. "Nobody wants to see that, seriously."

"Are you sure, strawberry?" Renji asked, still snickering.

"If it's you that's naked, I wouldn't wanna see even if you paid me," Ichigo said, smirking. That wiped the amused look off Renji's face, an offended one taking its place. "Anyways, it's also required that you bring athletic shoes. And no hiding items in your clothes! You're gonna be searched by members of the technology department beforehand anyways, so if you get caught bringing something prohibited into the game, you're gonna be punished.

"Now, the food situation," Ichigo said, continuing on to the next topic. "Again, it's a tropical island. You'll have access to coconuts, fruits like lemons and oranges, as well as various roots you can eat. You've each been given some information on the island." He held up the sheets he was reading off of; Uryu had printed these off a few nights ago and instructed Ichigo to give them to all of the contestants as they'd arrived for the meeting. "You need to read these before we head out there, or you're not gonna know what to eat and what not to eat.

"In the way of meat, you can go fishing or attempt to catch some of the wild chickens. There are clams, oysters and other kinds of shellfish on some parts of the beach. Ultimately, you decide what you eat. In terms of water, we are providing a source of fresh water **(A/N: I don't know if I mentioned this, but the lake they the island is in is saltwater. It's like the Caspian Sea - it's technically a lake, but it's still saltwalter).** However, we aren't gonna show you where it is. When you get to your beach on the first day, you'll be given a map to where the wells are. You're also each gonna be given one large canteen of water each when you separate to find your tribe's beach. Do _not_ lose that canteen. And remember, you have to boil the water before it's safe for you to drink."

"But to do that you have to have fire," Ikkaku pointed out.

"Yep," Ichigo agreed, nodding. "You have to make fire on your own. You can do that however you want – rubbing sticks together, glasses, whatever. But you're gonna need fire. You're also gonna need to build a shelter of some kind. It will rain, and it will get cold. You wanna make a home that you can sleep in for thirty-nine days. Now, on to the basic gameplay.

"Basically, the game is played in three-day increments," Ichigo explained. "Every three days is gonna be one episode for the rest of Soul Society. We can't show everything that happened in those three days; each episode will only highlight what went on. There will be people filming you at all times: remember that. The only time you have true privacy is when you go to the bathroom. Also, everyone will be given one-on-one time with a cameraman, where you can express your opinions on what's going on without anyone overhearing you."

Rangiku raised her hand again. "What happens when us girls get our monthly blessing?" she asked, smiling.

Ichigo flushed slightly, seeing all of the other girls nodding and the guys looking away to various corners of the room. "Um, you deal with it?" he suggested.

"But if I don't have any tam-" Rangiku began.

"Okay, okay, we'll provide those!" Ichigo said. "We'll put them in a waterproof container on your beach along with the machete, map, pot to boil water and rope. Satisfied?" Rangiku nodded, beaming. "Going on! Every three days, you will compete in two challenges: a reward challenge and an immunity challenge. A challenge is a test of your physical and mental strength. As the game drags on, the challenges will become harder and harder on you because of your decreasing energy levels. These challenges are gonna be tested beforehand and will be perfectly safe, unless you do something stupid.

"I will explain the rules of each challenge before you compete. Make sure that you listen to all rules. Some rules, if broken, can result in an immediate disqualification. Now, in reward challenges, you're obviously gonna be competing for items that aren't necessary to the game, but that you'll definitely want. Comfort items, if you will. Immunity challenges are different; the losers of immunity challenges will have to go to a tribal council, where they will vote off one member of their tribe.

"When you vote, you walk away from the rest of the group, write down one person's name on a piece of paper and show it to the camera. You then say why you're voting that person out. After that, you fold it up and put it in a container. You aren't allowed to vote for yourself. In the case of a tie, it comes down to a showdown between the two tied people, unless someone else has a majority of votes cast against them."

"What do you mean?" Nanao asked, leaning forward.

"Well, let's say there was a four-on-four tie," Ichigo said. "The two people who got four votes would then be allowed to give the rest of the tribe a reason to keep them; basically, they're allowed to plead their case. Then the tribe votes again, except for the two people in the tie. If the two remain tied after the second vote, it's declared a deadlock vote and a tiebreaker immunity challenge is given. Tiebreakers are held at tribal council and are generally quick and simple."

Nanao nodded, apparently getting all the information she needed. "Tribal councils aren't fun," Ichigo continued. "As the host, I get to ask you questions about things that have happened in the past three days, including arguments, challenges and struggles. After the person is voted out, they will have to leave the tribal council area. At that time, members of the technology department will take you away to a makeshift hotel where you'll stay for the rest of the time on the island. Because of that, you are each allowed to pack one suitcase with clothing and other things like soap, books and games for you that will be given to you once you have been voted out."

"Oh, isn't that the place they call the Loser Lodge?" Orihime piped up.

"Um, yeah," Ichigo said. "Some people call it that. But the game changes when it gets down to ten people. At that point, half of the contestants are gonna be gone. When there are only ten people left, you will merge into one tribe. From that point on, challenges will be individual. Rewards are won by one person, and immunity is won by one person. At tribal councils, only one person will be immune from being voted out.

"After the merge, one more person will be voted off. After that, the nine remaining contestants have a special purpose. Seven of the nine will be voted off and comprise the jury. The jury is the group of people who ultimately decide who wins the game. They will come back for each tribal council after they're voted off and listen in, though they can't participate. When it gets to the final two, the jury will have a chance to ask the last remaining contestants one question each so they can decide who they are going to vote for to win. The final two have to answer the questions, and are allowed to give opening and ending statements about how they felt they played the game."

"What happens to the jury then?" someone from the back asked. "Do they go back to the Loser Lodge too?"

"No," Ichigo said. "They will go to a separate camp where they will each have their own tent. They still get the suitcase of goods, and will be fed and provided with entertainment during the days they don't do anything. As well, showers and bathrooms will be available. Basically, it's like an outdoor version of the hotel. You will be transported from the tribal council area and back to the camp every three days.

"Once the final votes have been cast, we will all spend one final night on the island and return to Soul Society in the morning. You are forbidden from telling anyone about your final placement. Don't reveal who made it to the final two, where you yourself finished or anything else. Don't ruin it for everyone. About one month will be taken to edit the film footage that we took, and then we will begin to broadcast the show once a week. After the finale is shown, the next evening we will reveal the final votes to a live audience. After that, we will do a live, one-hour program where I ask questions about the major controversies and parts of this entire season.

"Alright, are they any questions?"

Everyone shook their heads no. "Okay, then, we leave in two days! I suggest everyone go out, read the information given, and buy your clothes. We're gonna meet at the West gate at eight in the morning on Thursday. Don't be late. We _will_ leave without you."

* * *

Okay, so that's the last of the preview chapters!! I bet everyone's happy about about that, lol. And I know that this was basically just a list of rules. Sorry about that, lol. But at least now everyone knows what to expect. So, tomorrow I'll put up chapter one, and you guys can tell me what you think. And I'm sorry if someone's favorite character got left out...but I did put in twenty contestants, which is more than the regular Survivor normally does!! And I'm trying to not, you know, favor my own favorites. Because I doubt any of my favorites would actually win if they did go on the show, lol. Anyways, thanks for reading and review if you want!!

* * *


	7. Episode 1

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Bleach or Survivor. I just stuck them together.

**Rating:** T

**A/N: **It's finally here!! It's the first episode!! I'm sure everyone's glad that we're finally getting down to business, haha. Also, a big thank you goes out for all the reviews!! I think it's a lot of reviews considering that the actual episodes are only NOW beginning, lol. But I'll shut up now and let you guys read.

* * *

**Soul Reaper Survivor  
****Episode One – Oh My God, This SUCKS!!**

Ichigo sat down in a special area next to Orihime, Chad and Uryu as they prepared to watch the premiere of Soul Reaper Survivor. It had been a while since they'd left the island, and boy, had that been an adventure. He'd been a bit leery of what was going to happen once they got there, but everything had gone down without a hitch. What surprised him the most was that he thought the Soul Reapers made the game even more interesting than a bunch of random Americans.

Now, in the private viewing room that the Head Captain had set up for the Captains and Ichigo and his friends, they were merely counting down the minutes until the premiere. All of the other Captains were sitting down, eagerly awaiting the start of the program. Even the weird Captain with the face-paint looked excited. He knew that all of the other Soul Reapers were scattered at various places across the Seireitei, getting ready to watch one of the thirteen other monitors that the technology department had designed specifically for the purpose of broadcasting the show.

Suddenly, the screen flicked to life and a shot of breathtaking tropical scenery emerged, with upbeat music in the background. Ichigo then found himself staring at himself on the screen; did he really sound like that? Huh…he'd thought his voice was deeper than that. But he soon stopped thinking and began listening with rapt attention to the final product that he and Uryu had managed to put together. He was kinda proud.

"We are currently cruising along the waters of the South Rukon Sea, just about a mile away from the island that will be the home of twenty people for the next forty days," TV Ichigo said. He was dressed in a pair of cargo shorts and a tight black tee-shirt. Man, it had been hot there! The camera shifted to show shots of the twenty contestants, all of whom were sitting behind him, waiting for the start of the game. "They will have to fight the elements, wildlife and ultimately each other to claim the prize of a lifetime membership to the Soul Reaper Deluxe Spa Resort. They will have to learn to adapt to all situations, or they'll be voted out of the game. Thirty-nine days, twenty people, one Survivor."

And then the theme song began. They had taken the music from the original Survivor program and edited it a bit to make their own theme. Shots of the contestants in action and then a still photo of them had all been randomized so that no one could know how the teams were going to shape up. Finally, the song was over, ending with the emblem – Survivor: Soul Reaper Style, shortened as Survivor: SRS. Then the cameras cut back to TV Ichigo, getting ready to divide up the tribes.

"Welcome, guys, to Survivor: Soul Reaper Style," TV Ichigo said, smiling mischievously; in truth, Ichigo just hadn't been able to contain his excitement at seeing twenty idiots stranded on a beach. It was hysterical. "Just over there" – cut to a picture of the island – "is the island where you guys are gonna be living for the next thirty-nine days. Right now, we're about a mile away from shore. As you can see, we're in line with about the middle of the island. One of the tribes is going to live on the right side of the island; the other will take the left.

"Let me make it clear that there is not much waiting for you at your beaches. There will be a tribe flag to let you know that you're in the right place. Waiting for you, there will be a machete, a few bundles of rope, a pot to boil water and a map to fresh water. Your first unofficial challenge is to find your beach. But first, we need to separate into two tribes." There were cheers at that.

"We've separated you all into two tribes, based on two animals that hold very high places in Japanese culture," TV Ichigo continued. "The Uzukutora tribe, always wearing orange, represents the tiger. The Shireyu tribe, which represents the dragon, will always wear red. I'm gonna call your name. Once your name is called, come forward and get your buff and then move to the side of the deck that I point you to." He picked up two bags of buffs, one orange and one red. "The first member for Uzukutora is Shuhei Hisagi."

As Shuhei stood up, grinning with excitement, his name and position in the 13 Court Guard Squads flashed at the bottom of the screen. He grabbed his buff and moved to the side. "The first member for Shireyu is Ikkaku Madarame." And so it went, each tribe slowly gaining more people and the number of people waiting to be assigned a tribe dwindling. "And finally, last but not least, the last member of Shireyu is Momo Hinamori."

The two tribes, once divided, basically looked like this:

- Uzukutora (orange): Renji Abarai, Nanao Ise, Yumichika Ayasegawa, Hiyori Sarugaki, Stark (first Espada, dunno his last name), Rangiku Matsumoto, Sosuke Aizen, Kiyone Kotetsu, Shuhei Hisagi, Soi Fon

- Shireyu (red): Ikkaku Madarame, Rukia Kuchiki, Grimmjow Jaggerjack, Momo Hinamori, Ulquiorra Schiffer, Kukaku Shiba, Gin Ichimaru, Lisa Yadomaru, Shinji Hirako, Nemu Kurotsuchi

* * *

The TV then cut to a one-on-one with Renji. He was sitting down on a rock, his shirt off and dirt smudged under one of his eyes. "I was actually really happy with my tribe," he said. "We got a lot of really strong people, and there's no one I don't like. So yeah, we're gonna do good." He clapped his hands together and laughed.

* * *

Back to the boat scene with TV Ichigo. "Each tribe has a boat waiting for you in the water below. You will have to cut the rope that is currently keeping it anchored to this boat in order to get to your beach. Here's the maps." He threw a map to each tribe. "So without further ado, let's get started. This game is on. I'll see you guys in a couple of days." There were cheers and then scrambling as each tribe began to jump into the water below. Ichigo watched as the two tribes made it to their boats; Ikkaku hacked away at the rope connecting his canoe to the boat; Renji did the same as his tribe.

The scene slowly faded, and a picture of Renji came onto the screen. There were a few random facts about him on the side. Ichigo and Uryu had decided to do these random informational character bios instead of commercials, seeing as how there weren't really any in the Soul Society. Soon enough, the still faded away to a new scene: the Shireyu tribe paddling towards the shore eagerly. They were all laughing as they worked, talking and laughing about how much fun this was going to be.

* * *

Now there was one-on-one scene with Rukia. "When Ichigo called us out for tribes, I was initially kind of nervous," she admitted. "I'm not really familiar with many people on my tribe, so I'm definitely going to have my work cut out for me." She smiled. "But I'm not giving up yet! I have a few tricks up my sleeve that are going to help me in the long run!"

* * *

Suddenly, all the members of the Shireyu tribe jumped out of their boat, having reached the shore. They all cheered as they then dragged the canoe up onto the beach out of the water, congratulating and hugging each other just on having made it to the beach. Ikkaku and Grimmjow in particular made very loud noises. As a group, they all ambled over to where the tribe flag was, their supplies waiting in the sand at its base.

"So, what do we do now?" Grimmjow asked, laughing.

Ulquiorra rolled his eyes. "Isn't it obvious?" he asked. "We build a shelter, go and inspect the water source and attempt to build a fire." Ichigo still found it odd to see the very pale man wearing a pair of dark green swimming trunks and a black tee-shirt. And yes, his hands were still in his pockets.

"Ah, shove it, Ulquiorra," Grimmjow said, his grin disappearing. "I was only jokin' around."

"Can it, both of you!" Kukaku said, crossing her arms over her chest…a motion which nearly crossed her to pop out of her black bikini top. "Sheesh, we just now got to the fuckin' beach and you're already arguing?"

"Yeah, come on you guys!" Momo piped up. "We need to decide who's going to do what."

"Well, how about you and Rukia go look for the water source?" Lisa Yadomaru – the bespectacled Vizard who eerily resembled Nanao Ise – suggested. "We probably need all of the guys to help build the shelter." There were murmurs of assent. "Does anyone have any ideas on what we should build?"

"How 'bout somethin' with sticks?" Shinji suggested, grinning. Lisa rolled her eyes.

"As opposed to something with sand?" she asked acidly. "Of course you have to use sticks! That's why you should go and get your ass into the woods to go break down trees or something." She pushed Shinji away irritably.

"Ooh, dissension among the Vizards," Grimmjow noted. "Doesn't seem like she cares for you too much, Shinji."

"Oh, nonsense, Grimmjow," Shinji said, wrapping an arm around Lisa's shoulders. "She just shows her affection in odd ways." Lisa rolled her eyes again and turned around, ignoring him.

* * *

It now cut to a one-on-one with Lisa. "I was _not_ happy to be put on a tribe with Shinji," she admitted, smiling a bit. "I mean, I can put up with him, seeing as how I do it every day outside the game, but it's not going to be easy to not bite his head off. But since I know him, I can work around him in my game play. I know how he works. I just hope I don't kill him first." She laughed a bit.

"Oh, I haven't seen Lisa-chan in years!" Captain Kyoraku suddenly proclaimed. "How delightful!" He raised a cup of sake that he'd been drinking in the direction of Ichigo. "Good choice, Kurosaki. You didn't put me in the game, but you put both my Nanao-chan and Lisa-chan in, and on opposing tribes no less!" He chuckled to himself while Captain Ukitake rolled his eyes, amused.

* * *

Now Ikkaku and Grimmjow were being shown smashing down smaller trees in the forest. Shinji and Gin were picking up bamboo logs while Ulquiorra picked up the large branches Ikkaku and Grimmjow missed. They were all talking about the game – competition, the chicks on their tribe, how much this beat paperwork – while working. Every now and then they'd leave the forest and go dump a pile of wood on the beach, where Nemu, Lisa and Kukaku were gathering palm fronds and other vegetation.

Now it cut to Rukia and Momo walking down the beach, the map out. "So what do you think this water source is gonna be like?" Rukia asked. She looked over at the map in Momo's hands, checking where they were.

"I don't know," Momo said. "But I really hope it's not too dirty. We already have to boil our water before we can drink it. Do you think they'll give us matches or something?" She looked up at Rukia hopefully.

"I doubt it, unless it's part of a reward," Rukia said. She squinted up ahead. "Hey, what's that?" she asked, pointing. Momo looked at where she was pointing and let out an excited squeal. "Do you think it's the water? Lemme see the map!" They both looked down at the map excitedly and then ran forward, screaming happily. As soon as they reached the large metal barrel, Rukia yanked off the top. They both looked in, seeing a large quantity of clear, dark water.

"We found it!" Momo cried happily, hugging Rukia in her joy. Rukia hugged her back briefly and then separated, Rukia putting the top back on.

"Well, that's a relief," Rukia said. "Now come on, let's go back and help the others with the shelter."

* * *

On the other hand, over at Uzukutora…the members of the orange tribe pulled their boat up on shore and then began to celebrate much like their competition had. However – considering some of the people on their tribe – their yells were a bit more enthusiastic, their hugs a bit tighter. Rangiku suddenly squealed and brought them all together. "Now, I know that we need to start building a shelter and finding water and all that stuff," she said. "But I think we should just reaffirm right now what we're gonna do that the other team!"

"You mean how we're gonna totally kick their asses?" Renji said cockily.

"Of course!" Rangiku said, putting out a hand. "Now, come on, who's with me?" Everyone else stuck their hand in, even Nanao and Soi Fon committing to the corny ritual. "Okay, on three-two-one, UZUKUTORA!!" Everyone shouted with her and then the loose circle broke apart, chuckling. Kiyone shot forward, grabbing a map off the ground.

"Look, I found the map to the water source!" she said proudly, holding it up. "Does someone wanna go with me to check it out?"

Rangiku immediately rushed over. "I will!" she said enthusiastically. Together, they ran off along the beach, giggling to themselves as they studied the maps. Nanao shook her head a bit in annoyance.

"Well, I guess we should start to work on building a shelter," Shuhei said, scratching his head. "How do you guys wanna build this thing? Anyone got any bright ideas?"

"I think we should build it a ways up from the beach so the tides won't wash us out," Stark suggested; he already sounded tired. It was only midday! "That way we don't have to move it later on." There were nods of agreement.

"Should we base it around a tree or somethin'?" Renji asked, looking around at the large palm trees.

"You mean build it like a tepee?" Shuhei asked.

"What the hell's a tepee?" Renji asked, frowning.

"It's shaped like an ice cream cone, only upside down," Shuhei explained. A look of enlightenment crossed Renji's face. Explain it in terms of food and Renji knows all. "That might be best."

Nanao nodded. "I like the idea," she said. They then discussed what they were going to build the shelter win, and what they needed to collect. The men went off to collect bamboo stalks, and tree branches, while the women remained on the beach to chop off palm fronds and the like, much like what had occurred at Shireyu.

* * *

"I was unsure of what exactly to think when I first saw our tribe together as a whole," Nanao said in a one-on-one. She had removed her shirt, revealing a simply dark blue bikini top. Captain Kyoraku was practically bouncing up and down in delight. "Obviously, I'm not much of a social person by nature, so I definitely think that I have my work cut out for me if I want to win this game. I'm going to have to be more outgoing than I normally am, but that doesn't concern me. Right now, my main priority is getting to know everyone, building shelter and kicking the other team's ass." She gave the camera a _very _uncharacteristic grin, making Kyoraku feint dead away.

* * *

There was now another break, this time giving a short pre-game interview with Renji. During the break, Ichigo jumped a bit when someone clapped a hand on his shoulder. To his surprise – and causing a feeling of dread to creep up into his stomach – it was Kenpachi. "Kenpachi?" he asked. "What do you want?"

Kenpachi snickered. "I don't wanna know who wins this game," he said. "Just tell me this…are there ever gonna be some funny scenes involving Yumichika?"

Ichigo blinked; that was a…random question. "Um, why?" he asked.

"It's funny seeing the fruit being all, you know, fruity," Kenpachi said, shrugging. "So tell me, are there?"

Ichigo sighed, but grinned. "Yeah, there are a few," he admitted. "Do you need anything else?"

"Nope," Kenpachi said, standing up. "But the next time you do a show like this, I want in on the action, Ichigo." He chuckled maliciously. Ichigo nodded, but inwardly, his mind was screaming, "NO WAY IN HELL!!"

* * *

It was now morning on day two. There was a lovely shot of a very gray lake, the clouds in the sky even grayer. Ichigo remembered that it had rained like hell the night before, and feeling very lucky that he wasn't out there in a hut on a beach. They were still at Uzukutora's beach, their makeshift shelter – which actually wasn't bad considering some of the ones Ichigo had seen built on TV – looking quite sodden. Already, clothes had been hung up on nearby branches and a little camp area had formed.

The camera then shot to a view of Rangiku standing alone on the beach, the hood on her lime green jacket pulled up. It was definitely the most miserable Ichigo had ever seen the normally vivacious woman. She wiped at her face irritably and then continued to just stare out at the water. Of course, this signaled a one-on-one time with her.

* * *

"Last night was really hard on me," Rangiku said to the camera, not smiling at all. "We spent all day on our shelter, but it still wasn't completely waterproof, and when the rain started coming down…oh man, it was just hell. I don't think I slept more than four hours total. That was the most miserable night I've ever had in my life." She made an amused noise and cracked a wry grin. "I remember that my first thought this morning when I got up was 'Oh my God, this sucks!'" She laughed a bit and then the camera returned to Shireyu.

* * *

The shelter at Shireyu was a bit different. It was more of a lean-to that had been elevated off the ground by about a foot. Most of the contestants were still asleep, or at least lying down with their eyes closed. But Kukaku was up near the beach, wringing the water out of what appeared to be a jacket. After a moment, the camera zoomed in on her. It wasn't really a one-on-one since there were other people in the background, but she spoke quietly just the same.

"I know that last night was really tough for lots of people," she said. "But I think the person that it hit the hardest was Momo. She's just not as tough as the rest of us are, I think. I mean, she's a really sweet girl, but she took a serious blow last night. A serious blow."

Rukia then came into her view. Kukaku gave her a brief hug and then they quietly sat down on the beach, looking out at the gray water. "It looks like it's gonna rain again today," Rukia observed, rubbing her legs for warmth.

"Yeah," Kukaku said, running her fingers through her shaggy black hair. "But we'll deal with it."

"We don't have much of a choice," Rukia said, grinning.

It suddenly skipped ahead of time to about midday. The sun was peeking out from behind the clouds barely. Several of the male members of Shireyu were gathered around a pit in the ground, rubbing sticks together. It was currently Ikkaku's time to give it a whirl. He was moving the stick as fast as he could, but he couldn't get more than smoke. Finally, he sighed and stopped, his entire chest glistening with sweat. "Damn it," he swore, throwing the stick down angrily.

* * *

"The fire has been a big priority for me," Ikkaku revealed to the camera. Ichigo had been surprised to find that the red smears behind his eyes weren't make-up; they were just always there. "I mean, if we don't have fire, we can't boil water and we can't drink. We all drank the last of our canteen water yesterday, and we've been survivin' on coconut milk. And that will work for a while, but I want some water." He laughed. "The only thing that makes me feel better is that I know the other tribe is havin' just as hard of a time as us."

* * *

Sure enough, the camera turned to the Uzukutora beach, where some people were trying to build a fire as well. They weren't having much luck with it either. One person would rub the sticks together as fast as they could, and then they'd run out of energy only to have the next person pick up the sticks and fail. It was an endless cycle. Soi Fon, who had been right there at the fire, eventually pushed herself up and walked down to the beach, her hands on her hips.

Yumichika was sitting in the water in his violet swimming trunks. He looked up as she approached. "Did you decide to leave the idiots back there at the fire?" he asked, smiling a bit. He had removed the feathers from his right eye, which made him look very odd in Ichigo's opinion.

Soi Fon smiled and sat down beside him, clad in her own bright yellow bikini. She was already very scrawny; by the end of her time out there, Ichigo had thought she resembled a skeleton. "I just had to walk away," she said. "It was driving me crazy."

"Yeah," Yumichika said. "I don't care what they say; I can't see us getting fire by rubbing a couple of sticks together. It's just not possible. They have to help us out sometime, though, right? I mean, they won't let us die out here, will they?"

"Of course not," she replied, frowning. "I'd get out of here before they abandoned us."

There was a sudden outburst at camp. Hiyori had stood up and was now yelling at Renji. "You dumbass!" she said angrily. "What the hell were you doin'? We had a frickin' ember and then you went and frickin' blew it out! How retarded are you?"

"I didn't mean to!" Renji said, holding his hands out in a defensive gesture. "I just got excited and it blew out!"

"Excited my ass!" Hiyori yelled, walking away. She seemed to be fighting not to take off her shoe and thoroughly beat a very red Renji with it.

Soi Fon turned to look at Yumichika, shaking her head.

"Well, what do you know," Yumichika said, smirking. "Maybe I was wrong about the fire. I kind of feel bad for poor Renji though. That Hiyori girl does not seem like someone I'd want to cross."

* * *

"I was just so mad at the dickhead!" Hiyori said, frustrated. "I mean, we had a perfectly good ember and then the buffoon goes and blows it out! He seriously made me wanna smash him into next century."

* * *

Later on, at Shireyu, it looked as if Gin and Kukaku had been designated to go and check the "mailbox" for any updates or challenge notifications. Kukaku reached down in the leather bag, and – sure enough – there was a rolled-up piece of paper in the bottom of the bag. She pulled it out hesitantly. Gin peered at the paper curiously. "Is that what I think it is?" he asked.

"You better believe it," Kukaku said, laughing. "Do you wanna read this here or back at camp?"

"Just open it," Gin said. Kukaku shrugged and let the piece of paper fall open. She read the words to the summons out loud.

"'You've seen the other tribe, but not yet competed. You've tried to get fire and wound up depleted. Your first challenge is big, for immunity and more. Lose, you're down one; win, and you'll score.'" Kukaku looked up and whistled. "It's an immunity challenge."

"Don't worry; we aren't going to lose," Gin said. "Now let's get back and read this to the others." They both headed off through the woods, silent as they began to prepare themselves for the upcoming challenge. The rest of their tribe was gathered around the beach, talking. "Hey, you guys!" Gin called out upon seeing them. "We've got mail!"

There were cheers and excited faces all around as Gin and Kukaku walked over to them. Kukaku read the note again, and let it sink in for a minute. "It's a big one," she said. "We can't lose, guys. We have to win, at all costs."

"But did you hear what it said?" Ikkaku asked, excited. "We're gonna get fire!"

"Only if we win," Ulquiorra pointed out, pessimistic as usual. "If we lose, we don't get fire, and we have to send someone home tonight."

"Dumbass, then all we gotta do is win!" Grimmjow said, standing up. "Am I right?" He was met with cheers and cocky statements. Ulquiorra sighed and rolled his eyes.

* * *

"Grimmjow and I have an…interesting relationship," Ulquiorra revealed to the secrecy of the camera. "We can work together as a team when we need to, but in day-to-day life, we just don't click. I have a feeling that some kind of conflict is imminent, but I'm not certain to what extent he'll take it. Obviously, I would prefer it if he could be voted out as soon as possible, but I think the tribe needs his strength right now. But we'll see. Who knows what can happen?"

* * *

There were then a few shots of the natural landscape, and then Ichigo appeared, standing in front of two mats. Both of the two tribes walked into the clearing at almost the same time, taking their appropriate places on the mats. Ichigo grinned as they approached, seeing how already dirty and straggly they looked. "Welcome, guys, to your first immunity challenge," he said. "But before we get to that, let's talk about your first day. Ikkaku, how's the situation over at Shireyu?"

Ikkaku grinned. "We're doin' good," he said. "I mean, we've got a good shelter goin' and they're plenty of coconuts on the damn beach, so we're eatin' good."

"What would make life better?" Ichigo asked.

"Well, we haven't had much success with the fire," Ikkaku said, shaking his head. "I think if we got a fire and were able to boil water then we'd be able to get a lot more done." There were nods to this statement, even from members of the other team.

"Naturally," Ichigo said, nodding. "Which is why today, the winning team will receive flint for their efforts." He held up the small rectangular stone, which resulted in excited noises from the contestants. "But more importantly, you'll win this." And he pulled off the piece of burlap that was covering the immunity idol. It was crafted like a Buddha in full-on praying position. "Immunity: win this, and you'll be safe from tribal council. Lose, and one person on your team goes home tomorrow night.

"But let's get on to the challenge," Ichigo said, smirking. "It's a jungle relay race. Each tribe is gonna be split up into pairs. Three of the pairs are going to be tied to trees along the jungle paths for each tribe. One pair is going to be stranded on a pontoon out in the water. The remaining two people are going to remain here on the beach. You'll run into the forest as fast as possibly; when you reach the first two people, you'll untie them and a set of paddles that are with them. Then you move on. When you get to the next station, the people whom the first two tribe members untied have to untie the next two people and another set of paddles.

"That will continue until you have eight people and paddles," Ichigo continued. "After that, you'll come out of the forest at a different point, where there will be a boat waiting for you. Get in your boat and paddle out to retrieve the last two tribe members and a tribe flag waiting on the pontoon. Once you've got everybody, race back to shore. The first team to get all of their members on shore with their tribe flag in the holder wins immunity. Is that clear?" Everybody nodded. "Okay, then. I'll give you a minute to strategize and choose your pairings and then we'll get started."

After a moment, everyone had taken their places. "Okay, for Uzukutora, the first runners are Renji and Soi Fon. The first two for Shireyu are Ulquiorra and Grimmjow. Survivors, ready…GO!"At once, all four of them raced towards the jungle as fast as they could. They ran for about a half-mile until they each reached the first station, Uzukutora a bit faster than Shireyu. Soi Fon got to work on the paddles while Renji started to untie Shuhei and Stark.

Shireyu, on the other hand, got to their first station only a moment or two behind them, repeating the same procedure. However, Grimmjow took a bit longer on the knots, getting clearly frustrated. "What the fuck is up with these knots?" he demanded savagely as he tore through the last bits, freeing Ikkaku and Shinji.

Meanwhile, Uzukutora was already onto the next station, easily gaining ground as Grimmjow struggled with the knots. Shuhei got to working on Aizen and Yumichika and Stark flew through the knots on the paddles; Renji and Soi Fon watched nervously.

Ikkaku led the charge to get to Shireyu's next station, running faster than he'd ever known he could. He managed to make up a lot of ground, beginning to work on Gin and Kukaku's bindings while Ulquiorra, Grimmjow and Shinji ran to catch up. Ikkaku flew through the knots, cursing all the while. Shinji easily undid the knots on the paddles, and they were off, quickly gaining ground.

Thanks to Ikkaku and Shinji's speed, the two tribes were about equal as the pulled up to the last station in the forest. Aizen freed Rangiku and Nanao while Yumichika struggled with the knots on the paddles. Kukaku and Gin did the same for Lisa and Nemu on their side of the beach. Each tribe then raced out to the water.

Ikkaku was the first person to reach the beach, and immediately began to start pushing the boat into the water; he wasn't about to let the other tribe beat him! His tribemates quickly caught up to him and began to help, jumping into the boat once they were far enough out. Their strokes were perfectly synchronized as they headed to the pontoon where Rukia and Momo were cheering them on.

On the other hand, Uzukutora was having a hell of a time with it. They had a horrible push-off and their paddling was random at best. They were all trying their hardest to reach Kiyone and Hiyori, who were yelling out that they were doing well. Well, Kiyone was being encouraging. Hiyori was just demanding that they come and get her, to put it mildly. Shireyu reached the pontoon first and Momo and Rukia jumped in the boat, bringing the bright red flag emblazoned with a dragon along. Not having paddles, they could merely ride and hope for the best, hearts pounding.

Not giving up, Uzukutora reached the pontoon a few moments later, Kiyone and Hiyori hopping in. Hiyori was holding the orange flag tightly, looking about ready to spring into the air at a moment's notice. They were gaining ground on the Shireyu tribe, who was almost to the beach, but it was too little too late. The front tip of Shireyu's boat hit the beach and they all scrambled out, Rukia rushing forward to slam the flag down into the wooden holder.

Just like that, Ichigo raised his hands. "Shireyu wins reward and immunity!" he said loudly. There were cheers from the beach as the red tribe came forward in a group hug, a mass of arms and yelling. The Uzukutora tribe finished paddling to shore, dejected looks on their faces. Each tribe moved back to their individual mat, the difference in facial expressions funny. "Hey, Ikkaku – catch!" Ichigo said, tossing the flint over to the bald man. Ikkaku let out a whoop of joy and kissed the flint in his excitement. "But more importantly, immunity."

Ichigo walked over to give the immunity idol to Rukia who held it up in the air to her tribe's cheers. Ichigo turned to Uzukutora. "Good try, Uzukutora, but not enough," he said. "I'll be seeing you tomorrow night at tribal council."

* * *

There was another brief break, this time showing random facts about Nanao. Kyoraku read the screen eagerly, expressing his incredulity that Nanao claimed to love the electronica genre of music. By now, Ukitake was having to restrain his friend in his exuberance. If Ichigo and Uryu had known had crazy the Captain was going to be over his lieutenant, they might not have let him watch the program. Ichigo shook his head. Was it too late to get a restraining order?

* * *

Back at Uzukutora's beach, the disappointment was palpable. Renji looked completely defeated, running a hand through his red hair. A couple of the girls were sniffling and wiping at reddening eyes. Shuhei looked pissed, but he wasn't saying anything. Rangiku was just staring into the pit they'd been trying to create a fire in blankly. Soi Fon soon joined her.

"This sucks," Rangiku said, looking up at her tribemate, grimacing. "And we have to go to tribal council tomorrow night and vote someone off? I don't wanna lose anyone." She shook her head, making a noise of disgust.

"I hear you," Soi Fon said wearily. "But it's getting late and we're not doing ourselves any good by just standing around moping. I think we should all try to get some sleep and not worry about it until the morning." Rangiku nodded in agreement. A clip was then shown of the sun setting, and then a survey of the members of Uzukutora, sleeping in their tepee.

But a little ways down the beach, out of sight and earshot of the camp, Renji was sitting on the sand, staring out at the water. Shuhei was leaning against a nearby rock, doing much the same. After a moment or two of not speaking, Renji sighed. "This sucks ass," he said, leaning onto his back. "I was sure that we had this in the bag."

"We just gotta beat 'em next time," Shuhei said. "We're still a strong tribe. We were just cocky."

"I was so certain we could win," Renji said, shaking his head. "And now we gotta go to tribal council."

"Well, at least we know it's not gonna be one of us going home," Shuhei said thoughtfully after another moment of silence.

"And how do you know that?" Renji asked.

"We're two of the strongest people on our tribe," Shuhei explained quietly. "They can't afford to get rid of us just yet. My bets would be on Hiyori or Kiyone. Personally, I think Hiyori's gettin' on a lot of people's nerves."

"You could say that again," Renji muttered.

"And I think a lot of people see Kiyone as the weakest link," Shuhei finished.

"I dunno know who I'm voting for yet," Renji said. He looked up at Shuhei. "But whaddya you think, Shuhei? Me look out for you, you look out for me? I gotta say, I probably trust you more'n I trust anyone else."

Shuhei nodded. "I'm game for that," he said, putting his hand out for Renji to shake. "Should we take this to the end then?"

"To the final two," Renji confirmed.

The scene then shifted to the next day at sunrise. Soi Fon and Yumichika were once again together, this time collecting coconuts to collect for breakfast. The rest of the Uzukutora tribe looked to still be asleep.

Yumichika handed Soi Fon another couple of coconuts. As they headed further down the beach, they began to talk. "So, who're you thinking about?" Yumichika asked quietly. "Do you have any ideas?"

"Well, I think we need to keep the tribe as strong as possible at this point," Soi Fon said slowly. "And honestly, Kiyone is probably the weakest link. But I also think that Hiyori is horrible for tribe moral. She argues with everyone and criticizes every little thing we do. We don't need that right now."

"I agree," Yumichika said. "And I think Renji feels the same way. I think we should talk to him later today and see for sure though."

The scene instantly shifted to Yumichika and Renji walking out on the rocks, looking for mussels and any snails. Right now, that was the only protein source they had, and as disgusting as it was, they were hungry enough to eat cold snails. "So, what're you thinking, Renji?" Yumichika asked.

Renji looked up from the rock he'd been studying, frowning. "Whaddya mean?" he asked.

"Who's going tonight?" Yumichika asked.

Renji shrugged. "Kiyone or Hiyori," he said. "Those are the only people I've heard."

"Well, I was leaning towards Hiyori myself," Yumichika said. "She's too bossy for my tastes, and I don't appreciate her criticizing the way I cut up coconuts." He rolled his eyes; that particular insult had really gotten to him. Who cared how you cut up coconuts? They all went down the same way! Besides, he'd cut them up into nice little squares. What was wrong with that? "Soi Fon agrees with me. We were thinking of, you know, forming some kind of alliance with you and maybe Shuhei. What do you say?"

Renji considered it for a minute. "I think that would be good," he said. "The four of us would be strong. I'll talk to Shuhei later and see what he thinks. But I'm definitely game."

"Hiyori then?" Yumichika asked.

"Hiyori."

The scene instantly shifted to the tribal council area, and the Uzukutora tribe walked in with forlorn expressions on their faces. They each stood in front of a stool, waiting for further instruction from Ichigo. "Behind each of you is a torch," Ichigo said. "Go ahead and grab one and approach the fire. In this game, fire represents life; if you still have fire, you're still alive. When your fire's gone, so are you." They all grabbed torches, lit and replaced them, and then sat down.

Ichigo grinned at them. "So, welcome to tribal council," he said. "I know you guys don't really wanna be here, but you lost the challenge today. Renji, does that frustrate you at all?"

"Of course it frustrates me," Renji said immediately. "We started out with a lead, and then we blew it. But we can't let that affect us. We just gotta stay strong and come back next time with a winnin' attitude."

"Does it give the other tribe a leg up, now that they have fire?" Ichigo continued.

"I don't think so," Renji said. "I think that _they _think so. But we still have a lot of coconuts, and we've been eatin' alright for the past few days. We can make it a few more without fire. So, no, I don't think they've got an edge over us."

Ichigo saw Nanao shaking her head. "Nanao, you don't agree?" he asked, seizing the opportunity.

"No, I don't," she said. "It's not the physical aspect of fire that gives them an advantage over us. It's the mental factor. They've won, and now they've got fire. Their morale is up; we've lost and we don't have fire, and we have to vote someone out tonight. Our morale is low compared to theirs. I agree with Renji that it's not insurmountable, but I do believe they have the power right now."

Ichigo nodded. "So, Stark, tell me, how's camp life?" he asked, changing topics.

"Well, it's actually pretty good," Stark said slowly. "We've got a good shelter built and there's a lot of coconuts at our camp, and we've been getting snails and mussels off the rocks. We're doing okay for now."

"Okay then," Ichigo said. "It's time to vote. Rangiku, you're first." He stood up as Rangiku did. Immediately, the traditional tribal council music began to play as each member went up to the voting confessional to cast their vote. When everyone was done, Ichigo nodded. "I'll go tally the votes." He went up to the confessional himself and got the square box that held the votes. "Once the votes have been read, the decision is final. The person with the most votes will be asked to leave the tribal council area immediately. I'll read the votes." He opened the box and pulled out a sheet of paper. "First vote: Hiyori." He showed the paper for all to see.

"Second vote: Kiyone. Next vote: Hiyori." He began to pull the pieces of paper up one by one, making sure to show everyone the votes as he read them. "Kiyone. Kiyone. Hiyori. Hiyori. Hiyori. Kiyone." He picked up the last vote. "Here's where we stand: five votes Hiyori, four votes Kiyone. I'll read the last vote." He looked down at the piece of paper. "The first person voted out of Survivor: Soul Reaper Style – Hiyori. Six votes is enough. Hiyori, bring me your torch."

Looking sad and very pissed, Hiyori brought her torch over to Ichigo and set it in the ground. Ichigo looked down at Hiyori. "Hiyori, the tribe has spoken," he said, and extinguished her flame. "It's time for you to go." Hiyori looked back, gave a tight grin, and then walked off. Ichigo faced the rest of the tribe. "Well, you've now lost your first member. But perhaps it was for the best. Grab your torches and head on back to camp." The ending music began to play again and the credits began to roll.

And so ended episode one.

* * *

Hiyori's final words: "Gaah, it sucks being voted off first!! They're idiots if they think that I'm weaker than any of the other bitches out there. Dickheads. And it wasn't like I was trying to be mean; I was just offering my honest opinion on things. But if they don't want it, that's fuckin'­ fine with me. Let themselves shoot their asses. Fine – with – me."

Lol, I kinda felt bad for Hiyori, since no one told her that she was getting the boot. But she would have been very hard to live with. Anyways, that was episode one. I hope everyone liked it. But also, I've got a little idea. With the real TV show, they do popularity polls online throughout the entire season, and then give the winner of that a smaller prize - like a car. So I was thinking of doing something like that.

If you guys wanna participate, you can review and tell me your favorite character, or PM me, or e-mail me or whatever. I'm gonna record all the votes and then use my super math skills - haha, yeah right; I just barely scraped by algebra 2 with a B this year...when the guidance counselor called me in to his office and asked me if I was going to be in pre-calcular next year, I was like, are you effin' kidding me? no way in hell. Math sucks!! - to calculate out percentages and all that crap to see who gets a smaller prize. Also, even if your favorite gets voted off, you can still vote for them. And you can vote once per episode. That's basically what the rules are for the real Survivor, so I guess I should follow them, lol.

Anyways, I'll upload soon with episode two. As always, review if you want!!


	8. Episode 2

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Bleach or Survivor. I just stuck the two of them together.

**Rating: **T

**A/N: **Okay, so I was going to wait until tomorrow to put this up...but I got bored and decided to put it up today instead. Lol, what can I say? I'm trying to keep this updated pretty regularly because I have to get started on my summer reading and French projects soon. Episode 3 is still being written, but hopefully it should be done by tomorrow. We just bought some of the new Mountain Dew though, so I should be good. I still can't believe they don't make Mountain Dew: Pitch Black anymore. That was my favorite. But the new blue one tastes kinda like it, so I guess it's okay. And also, thanks again to all those who reviewed! A big thank you goes out to everyone who's reviewed more than once! I really appreciate it!

* * *

**Soul Reaper Survivor  
Episode Two - John the Fisherman Meets a Fish Named Wanda**

Next week at the same time, Ichigo and his friends once again sat down in the room with the Captains to watch the second installment of Survivor. Everyone was there already - except Captain Kyoraku, whom they'd asked to go somewhere else to watch the program for the sake of peace and quiet - so he just slipped into a chair near the back of the room. So far, he'd been very pleased with the reception to the show. Everyone seemed to like it, and bets were already being placed on who was going to win. It was funny to see people trying to get the contestants to reveal who'd won – as if they even knew. Even Ichigo himself didn't know that yet.

By now, the "Previously on Survivor…" bit had already been shown, as well as the theme song. It was early morning on day four, and Renji, Shuhei and Rangiku were standing on the beach together. Rangiku breathed in a deep breath and sighed. Renji and Shuhei looked over at her questioningly. "Do you hear that?" she asked. They both blinked at her, and then strained to hear something.

"I don't hear anythin'," Renji said, clearly confused.

"Me neither," Shuhei said, shaking his head.

"Exactly," Rangiku said, smiling. "It's _quiet._ There's no criticizing at ungodly hours of the morning about how to cut up coconuts. There're no pissy girls walking around camp in bad moods because they're hungry. And better yet, there's no girls running around trying to hit other people with her shoes!"

Knowledge dawned on Renji's face, and Shuhei smirked. "You're right there," Shuhei said, chuckling. "God, if she told me one more time that my tattoo was crooked, I think I would've snapped."

"She said your tattoo was crooked?" Rangiku asked, surprised.

"Yeah!" Shuhei said. "I couldn't believe it either! I mean, come on, who gives a shit? And it's not crooked either."

* * *

"The mood in camp was very nice when I woke up this mornin'," Shuhei revealed to the camera. "It was nice, not havin' Hiyori here. I guess that if we were goin' for strength, we shoulda kicked off Kiyone, but Kiyone's also a hell of a lot nicer than Hiyori, especially when she's not around Sentaro. Actually, without him, she's a pretty cool chick. I don't regret the decision last night at all. Best decision yet."

* * *

Kiyone was now shown walking down the beach in her pale pink bikini, her short blonde hair blowing in the slight breeze. She looked to be gathering coconuts. Aizen was walking towards her, his navy swimming trunks wet. "Any luck?" she asked as he approached.

He shook his head. "Nope," he said. "I can see the giant clams on the bottom of the ocean, but I'm not a good enough diver to go down far enough to get them. But if we do manage to get one, there'd be enough meat for at least a meal or two." He looked down at the coconuts in her arms. "Need any help with those?"

"Sure," Kiyone said, smiling. "I left a bunch back a ways, if you wanna help me get those." He nodded and they set off down the beach.

* * *

"Food has become my top priority," Aizen revealed to the camera, rubbing his glasses on his white tee-shirt. (**A/N: I decided to keep Aizen looking like he did before he betrayed Soul Society. I mean, at least with the glasses and shaggy hair he at least looked like the friendly neighbor type. Afterwards…he looked a bit like a pedophile. Don't you think so?**) "Coconuts will sustain us for a while, but we need to have protein in our bodies, and to get that, we need meat. There are tons of giant clams out there near the bottom of the ocean, but they're about twenty, twenty-five feet down. I can't dive that deep. I just hope that we get something soon, or else we're going to be in some dire straits."

* * *

The scene shifted to Shireyu's beach. Ikkaku, Kukaku and Rukia were all gathered around the empty fire pit, leaning over. Nemu was standing a ways back, observing them. Lisa soon came up and joined her. "We won fire in the challenge a couple of days ago," Nemu said to the camera. "But it's been too wet and rainy to really make a fire. So now we're crossing our fingers and hoping for the best." She smiled a bit.

Kukaku – resident explosives mistress – was currently hunched over with the flint, the machete in her hand. She began to scrape the edge against the flint, creating sparks and smoke. The first few times, the sparks died before they managed to catch fire on any of the dry coconut husks they'd placed in the bottom of the fire pit. "Come on, sucker," she said, biting her lower lip in concentration. A few beads of sweat ran down her face and her green eyes were shining with determination. "Let's do this!"

She gave a couple more scrapes with the machete, and all of a sudden, a spark caught. "Holy shit!" Ikkaku said, more out of excitement than surprise. "What the fuck do we do now?"

"You shut up and get the hell out of my way!" Kukaku barked, pushing more coconut husks onto the rapidly growing flame. She bent down and slowly blew onto the flame, coaxing it to life. It jumped up even higher and she began to put actual sticks on top of the fire in a cone-like structure. In just a few more minutes, the fire was crackling. Kukaku jumped up and hugged Rukia, who was cheering. "We have fire!" the busty woman roared.

"We do?" Grimmjow asked, coming up from the beach. He looked down at the now blazing flames and gave out a whoop of joy. "Fuck yeah!" he yelled, walking over to stand beside Ikkaku. "We got somethin' else to drink besides that shitty coconut milk!" He'd made no secret of his distaste for the liquid the coconuts contained.

Rukia picked up the big black pot that had been waiting on their beach patiently for usage. "Who wants to go with me to get some water?" she asked eagerly. Nemu volunteered, and walked over to help the smaller girl with the large, heavy pot. Together, they walked off down the beach. "I'm so happy that we have fire now," Rukia confided to the other woman.

"Me too," Nemu said, her long braid falling over her shoulder as she walked. "Without proper liquid intake, the human body will soon begin to degenerate and fall into dehydration. And now that we have fire, we can properly cook meat so that we don't accidentally ingest parasites that will begin to eat our intestines from the inside out."

Rukia couldn't help it; she laughed at the other woman's textbook answer.

"Did I say something funny?" Nemu asked, bewildered.

"No, no, it's just that your answer was so precise," Rukia said, smiling.

"Should I have answered differently?" Nemu asked.

"No, I just meant that most people – oh, never mind," she said shaking her head. "Look, there's the water well!" She nodded towards the large stone well, her hands too full to point with. Together, they hoisted the pot up to the edge of the water well and began to use their canteens to transfer water from the well to the pot.

"I think that you and I could work well together, Rukia," Nemu said suddenly.

"What?" Rukia asked, startled. Her hands fell slack in their work as she stared at the other woman.

"Well, I've been thinking about who it would be best to align myself with in this game," Nemu explained. "Lisa and I are very similar in that we are not as outgoing as most people, but Lisa is more assertive than I am. Still, we've agreed to form an alliance; however, it is only logical that we bring in a third and a fourth. We were thinking about joining with you and Ulquiorra."

Rukia nodded in understanding. "I think that would be good," she said. "But why Ulquiorra?"

"Ulquiorra and Grimmjow do not get along," Nemu said. "And since Grimmjow seems to be developing friendships with Ikkaku and Gin, it is only natural that Ulquiorra join us as opposed to them. Lisa believes that she can pull in Shinji to use his vote until we no longer need him. That way, we'll have five. That is at least half of our tribe in one alliance."

"That sounds like a good plan," she was thinking. "Are you sure Lisa can get Shinji though?"

"I'm about eighty-seven point-five-eight percent positive," Nemu said without blinking.

Rukia smiled at the other girl's analytical mind. "Okay then," she said, putting the lid back on the well. "Let's get back to camp."

* * *

After a short break in which Nanao was interviewed, the scene shifted and the scene for a reward challenge for shown. The Shireyu tribe walked in first, and stood on their mat, waiting eagerly to see who'd been voted out first. "Come on in, Uzukutora," Ichigo called out this. This time he was wearing a dark blue tank top and a pair of black shorts. "Hiyori was the first person voted out of the game."

Shinji snickered as the other tribe walked up. "What are ya laughing about, Shinji?" Ichigo asked the still giggling Vizard.

"I just think it's funny that Hiyori got herself voted out first," he said. "She was probably annoyin' as hell right? Criticizin' ya about everything ya did." He got a few nods and snickers from the other tribe.

"Alright, then," Ichigo said. "Welcome to your first reward challenge. It's pretty simple, especially compared to the last challenge. Out in the water are eighteen puzzle pieces for each tribe. Nine are attached to buoys and floating on the top of the water; the other nine have been tied to ropes near the bottom. One at a time, a tribe member will swim out, get a piece and bring it back, putting it on your tribe mat. Each tribe member will have to go two times, so you'll have to decide who gets the pieces above the water and who gets the pieces below water.

"Once you have all eighteen pieces, you'll begin to assemble the puzzle on the tables here," Ichigo continued, pointing to the two tables on his left and right. "The first tribe to complete the puzzle wins reward. Wanna know what you're playing for?" There were excited calls of assent. "Okay, so you've been out here for four days. I assume that coconuts are starting to get old about now. So, the winner gets a little somethin' to help 'em out." He pulled the covering off a small platform.

"Oh, my God!" Ikkaku immediately said, falling to his knees and then coming up again.

"What's the matter, Ikkaku?" Ichigo asked. Ikkaku just grinned in excitement. "The winner gets a fishing supply kit. There's twenty-five hooks, line, some extra rope, a net, a couple of swimming masks and two fishing spears. Worth playing for?" Everyone nodded, covetous looks on the faces of all the contestants. "Okay then, Shireyu, you have one extra member. You're sitting one person out. Who's it gonna be?"

The red tribe discussed it for a minute and then Kukaku raised her arm. "I am," she said.

"Alright, have a seat on the bench over there," Ichigo said, pointing to a small out-of-the-way bench. "I'll give you a few minutes to strategize and then we'll get started." After the few minutes were up, the tribes grew silent. "The first swimmer for Uzukutora is Stark, and the first swimmer for Shireyu is Grimmjow. Survivors ready…GO!" It was like the two men had been shot out of a cannon. They both sprinted down the sand, throwing themselves into the water.

They swam out at pretty equal speeds and both dived down to retrieve a piece. Grimmjow came up with a piece first, but Stark was right there with him. They both came back and Rukia and Soi Fon went out. They both decided to stick with pieces on the top of the water. Again, Shireyu got their piece first, but Uzukutora was still right there. It continued in much the same way until it got down to the very last pieces.

Kiyone sprinted out towards the water, ahead of Gin. She only increased her lead when she retrieved her piece, which was floating on top of the water. Gin had to dive down to get his piece. Kiyone was already half-way to shore by the time Gin came up with his piece, and only got faster as she raced to shore. The rest of her tribe was cheering wildly as she hit the sand and began to run towards the table. As soon as she hit the mat, Uzukutora began to pick up pieces, working like mad to finish.

But Gin wasn't done yet. He reached the beach only seconds later and sprinted to the table. This was where the brilliance of Nemu came in. With her mind, she had easily been memorizing the edges of the puzzle and then looking at the various puzzle pieces. When Gin got there, the rest of her tribe immediately let her take charge, instructing people where to put the puzzle pieces.

Uzukutora was having a hell of a time with it. They didn't seem to have a leader, and were only making a mess of things. Renji even went so far as to throw his piece down and yell, "What the FUCK are we DOIN'?" By this time, Nemu was maneuvering the last few pieces into place. She placed the last piece in and stepped back, looking it over.

Ichigo stepped over when Grimmjow yelled his name – along with a few other expletives – and surveyed the puzzle. He raised his arms. "Shireyu, wins reward!" The red tribe erupted in cheers and excited yells. Grimmjow picked up Nemu in his arms and whirled her around in his excitement, making the woman smile and – flush slightly? That was unexpected. "Shireyu, come get your reward." The tribe swarmed the fishing gear. "Sorry, Uzukutora, I've got nothing for ya. Head on back to camp."

* * *

After another break, the scene shifted to Uzukutora beach. It was just as the tribe was getting back from the challenge, and the mood was tense. Renji, who was in the front of the pack, kicked a coconut irritably and stormed off, chucking his shirt and shoes into camp. "There's no need to get so pissed off, Renji," Rangiku said.

"We were so close," Renji said, turning around to face her. "So fuckin' close!"

"I know that," Rangiku said, pushing her wet hair out of her face. "But it's no use crying over spilled milk. We lost; if you act like you're acting now, we'll never win anything. We have to start working together and communicating as a tribe."

"I agree," Aizen said, coming up to stand next to Rangiku. "We can't let our frustration get the best of us. Losing is hard, but that can't keep us from winning. We just need to keep cool heads and stay in charge of the situation."

"I know," Renji said irritably. "I just hate losing."

* * *

"Renji's a bit of a loose cannon," Rangiku revealed to the camera, fiddling absently with the bejeweled silver barbell that pierced her navel. (**A/N: Can't you see her with her belly button pierced?**) "We need him because he's a strong guy, but he has a helluva temper. And we don't need people blowing up at challenges just because we're behind. If he doesn't learn to cool it, then he might be in serious trouble."

* * *

The scene shifted to Shireyu's beach. Gin was holding one of the spears they'd won in his hands, staring out at the water blankly. Grimmjow and Ikkaku were getting their boat ready to go out on a fishing trip. "Oi, Gin, get your ass over here before we leave without you!" the blue-haired man said. Gin looked over at them and smirked before sauntering over and getting into the boat with a fox-like grace.

"That wouldn't be very nice," he commented, still holding the spear.

"Who the fuck told you I'm nice?" Grimmjow asked, sneering. The three of them began to paddle out into the deeper waters, hoping to catch dinner. Gin planned on using the spear; his reasoning was that since he had a zanpaku-to that speared things, he might be able to catch fish using a spear. Grimmjow and Ikkaku had made fishing rods with some bamboo logs that had been left over from building the shelter, and were going to stay with the boat while Gin went down.

As soon as they found a good spot, Gin easily slipped into the water, the mask already in place over his eyes. He ducked down into the water, looking around. Fish were everywhere, all different colors and sizes. Going back up for a deep breath, he dove down and cocked the spear in his hand. He selected a target – a good-sized reddish colored fish – and let the spear fly. It caught the fish straight through the middle. He gleefully swam up to the surface, bringing the spear up above the surface to show his tribemates the fish.

"Yeah, Foxy!" Grimmjow said, taking the fish off the top of Gin's spear.

"Foxy?" Gin said, his grin growing. "I have to say that I'm pleased that you think I'm so sexy, but I'm afraid I'm not interested in you at all." Before Grimmjow could say anything, he slipped beneath the waves again, going down to see if he could catch anything else.

Grimmjow looked over at Ikkaku, frowning. "Did I say anythin' about sexy?"

"Not that I heard," Ikkaku said.

* * *

The scene shifted to back at camp, later in the evening. Ikkaku, Grimmjow and Gin came strolling back into camp with the fishing gear. Grimmjow looked pissed, Ikkaku looked bored and Gin was sunburned.

"What's up?" Kukaku asked. "Did you catch anything?"

Gin held up a bucket. "Just a couple," he said, smirking. He handed her the bucket and her jaw dropped. The cameras zoomed in on the bucket to reveal about ten fish, some still flopping around with the last traces of life.

"Just a couple, my ass!" Kukaku said. "That's like ten fish!"

"Did you catch all these, Gin?" Momo asked from the fireside.

"Most of them," Gin said, shrugging. "That's why Grimmjow looks so pissed. He didn't catch any."

"Oh, shut up," Grimmjow said, stalking off to sit down away from everyone else. "Ikkaku only caught one."

"At least he got something," Kukaku said, grinning. "Well, come on, let's cook these suckers!" A few TV moments later and the fried fish was being passed around the fire, groans about how delicious it was coming from nearly everyone. Kukaku looked particularly sated. "God, this is even better than sex," she said jokingly. That got a laugh from nearly everyone; Momo blushed and Nemu looked as if she didn't quite understand.

"This fish is downright fuckin' orgasmic," Ikkaku agreed, taking another bite. He grimaced suddenly. "Except for the bones." He pulled a tiny bone out of his mouth. "Those ain't so nice."

* * *

The sun set and rose again, this time revealing the Uzukutora beach. It was early in the morning, and Renji and Yumichika were going to check for mail. They were also discussing strategy.

"We can't lose this challenge," Yumichika said as they neared the mail bag. "Then we'll be down two people, and there's no telling who could go."

"I hear ya," Renji said. They had reached the small leather bag. He frowned when he put his hand in the bag and retrieved an odd shape. "It's an arrow," he said, looking down at the wooden arrow. Bright orange feathers protruded from the end.

"There's a note on it," Yumichika observed, unwrapping the note from around the arrow's shaft. "Let's take this back to camp." Renji nodded and they began to walk back to camp. "We've got mail!" Yumichika announced as soon as they were within earshot of camp. They stopped at the edge of camp, and he unrolled the curling piece of paper to read it. "'Some people can lead, but others only follow. The eyes of one must the majority borrow. How's your arm strength? Do you have good aim? Lose this one, and you might lose your flame.'" He looked up to gauge his tribe's reaction.

"It sounds like we're gonna have to throw things at a target," Shuhei said. There were nods of agreement. "But the first half doesn't really connect with the second."

"Maybe the challenge has two parts," Kiyone piped up.

* * *

"We really need to win today," Kiyone revealed to the camera. "I mean, of course we're down by one and everything, but I especially need us to win today. Because if we lose, it's _my_ butt that's on the chopping block." She grimaced. "And I'm not ready to go home yet."

* * *

With a brief change of scenery, both tribes were now shown walking into a clearing, getting ready for the immunity challenge. When both tribes were standing on their respective mats, Ichigo came forward to take the immunity idol back from Rukia. "Immunity is back up for grabs," he said as he placed the idol on its platform. "Today's challenge is gonna test two things: your aim, and your ability to follow direction.

"Scattered behind me on the beach are twenty bundles of coconuts, ten painted orange and ten red for each tribe. You're gonna need to retrieve these bundles. Here's the catch: you're gonna be blindfolded." There were groans and looks of frustration at that statement. "Each tribe will have one guide; whoever you choose will have to call out directions to the rest of you, who are gonna be divided into four pairs. Once you've retrieved all the bundles and placed them on your mat, you can take your blindfolds off and untie the bundles.

"Once all the bundles are untied, you're gonna want to pick them all up and put them in the bins behind you. Then you're gonna select three different tribe members to attempt to break any of the three tiles suspended in the air. You can change members at any time, but each person can only break one tile. Once a person's broken a tile, they can't try to break another. The first tribe to break all three tiles wins immunity. Shireyu, who's sitting out this time?" Rukia stepped forward and moved towards the bench. "I'll give you a minute to strategize and we'll get started."

There was a brief shuffling as Ichigo and the two guides – Kukaku for Shireyu and Renji for Uzukutora – helped everyone else get blindfolded and roped together. "Okay, Survivors ready…GO!" Ichigo yelled. Immediately, the chaos ensued.

"Okay, Rangiku and Nanao, go straight forward!" Renji called out. "Yumichika, turn directly left – YOUR OTHER LEFT – and go ahead! Okay, you're almost there…NOW! Reach down and there's a bundle! Okay, good, now turn around and come back! Aizen, go diagonally to your right! Keep going, you've got a ways to go – RANGIKU, STOP NOW! You're right on top of it!" Despite his short temper, Renji seemed to be doing a good job of directing his teammates.

On the other hand… "MOMO, what the FUCK are you DOING??" Kukaku screamed. "I said go left, LEFT, not backwards! Turn around, and turn to your left!" She let out a growl of frustration. "Grimmjow, you're right there! Bend down and get the bundle and bring it back!" She looked away just in time to see Shinji run face-first into a tree. "Shinji! You just hit a tree, you dumbass! I didn't tell you to move! Back up, and move right – NOT LEFT, RIGHT, GOD DAMMIT!!"

Despite the dysfunctional leadership of Kukaku Shiba, the Shireyu tribe managed to bring in all of its coconuts just moments after Uzukutora had managed to release all of their coconuts. Once again, it looked as if Uzukutora had an early lead, but the red tribe wasn't giving up! The members of Shireyu worked fast to catch up as orange coconuts were dumped into the bin. Finally, all of the orange coconuts were in place.

Shuhei was the first up. He picked up a coconut and chucked it at the tile, but he was a bit low. He got a second coconut and aimed more carefully this time; he hit the tile, but it only chinked the edge. Swearing, he hurled the third coconut, slamming the tile forcefully. It shattered, and Renji moved up to take his turn. He completely missed his first time, but the second time he managed to chip off a corner.

Shireyu was falling farther and farther behind. They were quickly panicking as they scrambled to get all of their coconuts in the correct bin. Angry as hell, Grimmjow picked up the first coconut as soon as all of the red ammunition was in the bin. Perhaps because he was angry, he managed to completely obliterate the target on his first try. Ikkaku came up next and broke the tile on his second try, just as Renji finally broke his.

It came down to the last tile. Stark was Uzukutora's last shooter; it was Ulquiorra for Shireyu. Ulquiorra began to fire coconuts as quickly as possible, but he kept missing by mere inches. Stark lazily picked up a coconut, aimed and chucked it as hard as he could. The tile smashed and the orange tribe immediately broke out in raucous yells. "Uzukutora wins immunity!" Ichigo yelled. Once the rambunctious tribe had calmed down, he handed the immunity idol to Renji. "Here ya go, Renji; ya earned it. And since you've now won a challenge, you get fire in the form of flint."

Incredulous shouts and yells came up from the Uzukutora tribe as Rangiku danced forward to gleefully grab the flint. Ichigo turned to Shireyu. "Shireyu, nice comeback, but still not enough. I'll see you guys tonight at tribal council."

* * *

The mood back at the Shireyu beach was very gloomy. The clouds had even come out, threatening to rain. There wasn't really any finger-pointing or blame laid on anyone. It was just…desolate. Kukaku in particular looked as if she felt horrible. But then again, it had been her who had been selected to lead the tribes. Momo came up to her, looking to be comforting. "It wasn't your fault," she said.

"I never said it was," Kukaku said sullenly.

"You're acting like you think it is," Momo pointed out.

Kukaku sighed. "I guess so," she said. "It's just frustrating when you're put in a position to lead people and end up failing."

"I don't think that's why we lost," Momo disagreed lightly. "I think it's because we didn't follow directions very well."

* * *

"As a tribe, this is the first time where we've had to experience a loss," Momo revealed to the camera in private. "Is it Kukaku's fault that we lost?" She shook her head. "I don't think so. She did the best that she could. It was the rest of us who didn't follow directions very well. Does that have an impact on who goes home tonight? I really think so. If anything, I think it makes the rest of us even more vulnerable because we proved that we don't listen well. Kukaku's a natural leader." She sighed. "It puts me in an odd position, because I know that I don't want to go home, but I don't want to pin the blame on her either. I…don't know what I'm doing yet."

* * *

Grimmjow and Ikkaku were out fishing once again. Gin had stayed behind this time, apparently too depressed to get any work done. But someone had to go out and bring in dinner. "I can't believe we lost," Ikkaku muttered as he swirled his fishing pole around in the water.

Grimmjow snorted. "I know," he said. "I'm so pissed off, I can barely think."

"Who're you pissed off at?" Ikkaku asked curiously.

"Kukaku!" Grimmjow said. "She volunteered to lead because she's a 'natural leader'. Well, fuck that! I don't see how her freakin' clan survives with a leader like her. Piece of dipshit."

"So are you votin' for her tonight?" Ikkaku questioned. Grimmjow let out another string of expletives and nodded . Ikkaku shook his head. "I dunno what I'm doin' yet."

"Who else would you vote for?" Grimmjow asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"Well, Kukaku may be the reason we lost today, but she's still a strong woman," Ikkaku said. "If we vote her out instead of someone like Momo – who's physically got nothin' to offer – do you think it's gonna come back and bite us in the ass?"

Grimmjow sighed. "I never thought about that," he said. "Fuck, this game is so much more complicated than I thought!"

* * *

Rukia and Nemu were once again on water duty. As soon as they got a good distance away from camp, Rukia looked over to the other woman. "So, what're we doing?" she asked quietly.

"I don't think that it is right or accurate to place the blame on Kukaku," Nemu said lightly. "But from a strategic standpoint, Kukaku is much more of a threat than Momo. However, if we vote off Kukaku now, there is a chance that we could have a physical challenge coming up where Momo would not be able to pull her weight, so to speak. But if we vote off Momo, there's a chance that Kukaku will be able to redeem herself and prove much harder to vote off."

Rukia sighed as they reached the water well. "So what do you think we should do?" she asked. "I have to tell you, my gut feeling is that we need to get rid of Kukaku."

"I think that you're right," Nemu said, "but Lisa mentioned that Shinji has been telling her that he wants Momo gone. If he dislikes Momo that much, it could be very hard to get him to agree to vote off Kukaku. Would you be willing to vote off Momo if that was the only way to keep Shinji with us?"

"I wouldn't like it, but if we had to, it could be done," Rukia said. "Have you talked to Ulquiorra at all? Do we even know if he's on our side?"

Nemu nodded. "I talked to him last night once everyone else was asleep," she said. "He thinks that our alliance is a good one, and he's agreed to work as a spy into the rest of the men's alliance. He doesn't trust Shinji, however."

"But will he work with Shinji as long as we need him?" Rukia asked. "That's what we need to know."

* * *

"One thing that I find interesting about this game is that you don't necessarily need to trust someone to use them," Nemu revealed in a one-on-one. "For instance, Ulquiorra doesn't trust Shinji, and to be honest, neither do I. But we need his vote. We have to believe that he'll stay with us out of fear until it gets to a point where we no longer need him. But in order to get to that point, we need Shinji. It's a give-and-take deal; we can't succeed without Shinji, but we're only using him to get to where we don't need him."

* * *

The scene then shifted to the tribal council area. Everyone came in and stood in front of a stool, waiting for Ichigo to speak. "Behind each one of you is a torch," the orange-haired host said. "Go ahead and grab one and approach the flame. In this game, fire represents your life. When your fire is gone, so are you." Everyone got a torch, lit it, and replaced them in the holders behind the stools. Once everyone was seated again, Ichigo smiled. "Well, this is the first time I've gotten to talk to you guys. Ikkaku, how's camp life going?"

"It's actually a lot better than I thought it would be when I first heard about this game," Ikkaku admitted. "I mean, we've got fire, we've got a shelter and now that we won that reward challenge, we can catch fish."

"How's that workin' out for you?"

"Hah, it's great!" Ikkaku said, smiling. "Gin's had a lotta luck with the spear, and Grimmjow and I have been goin' out with the fishin' poles. Now we've got some protein in our bellies and we're feelin' better."

"Well, to be honest, the protein didn't do you much good in the challenge today," Ichigo said, smirking. "Kukaku, how does it feel knowing that some people probably blame you for the loss?"

Kukaku sighed and rolled her eyes. "God, it sucks, Ichigo!" she said. "I stepped up because I've had experience in giving orders and direction. But it didn't work out. Do I expect some people to blame me? Hell yes. I would be stupid if I didn't realize that."

"Do you think it's you tonight?"

Kukaku hesitated for a minute. "I just hope that everyone realizes that we all have to work together," she said. "I don't believe it was just bad direction that made us lose today. Some people that I directed didn't listen to me very well. But I know that the leader gets the blame. So if it_ is_ me, then I know why."

"Grimmjow, do you agree with what Kukaku just said?" Ichigo said. "That's it's not entirely her fault?"

"No," Grimmjow said after a few moments of silence. "Ya know, if ya put yourself out there like that, ya better be willin' to accept the consequences if ya fail. No one forced her to be the leader. Maybe we coulda listened better. But even if we had been better listeners, bad directions still make us lose."

"Momo, what about you?" Ichigo asked. "You agree with Kukaku?"

"I do," Momo said, nodding. "To be honest, her directions weren't any worse than Renji's were. It was us that didn't listen. And I think that because we didn't listen to a leader _we_ picked, we lost. I don't think it's fair to blame Kukaku because we didn't listen."

Ichigo nodded. "Well, then, it's time to vote," he said, standing up. "Ulquiorra, you're up first." One by one, the members of Shireyu went up to cast their votes. Some were revealed, saying rude things to the camera about how – "you need to get the fuck off my island" – or – "I didn't wanna do this tonight, but you fucked up" – while others voted for entirely different people. Finally, when Nemu, the last person to vote, sat down, Ichigo went to go get the votes.

He placed the votes on a small stone platform. "Once the votes are read, the decision is final and the person with the most votes will leave the tribal council area immediately," he reminded them. "I'll read the votes. First vote: Kukaku." He placed the vote down and got out another one. "Next vote: Kukaku. Momo. Grimmjow. Momo. Momo. Momo. Momo. Kukaku." He picked up the last vote. "Last vote. The second person voted out of Survivor: Soul Reaper Style: Momo. Six votes is enough, it's time to bring me your torch."

Momo stood up with a sad smile on her face and brought her torch over, placing it in front of Ichigo. "Momo, the tribe has spoken," he said, and extinguished her torch. "It's time for you to go." Momo turned around and waved good-bye.

"Good luck, you guys," she said, before walking out.

"Well, you've now voted out your first member," Ichigo said. "It's clear now that you chose strength over the person some of you felt was to blame for your loss. We'll see if it helps you later. Grab your torches, head on back to camp."

And so ended episode two.

* * *

Momo's final words: "I had a feeling this was coming. I had a choice about whether or not to blame Kukaku for the loss, and I just couldn't. I realized that when I didn't do that, I was probably going home because my tribe considered me the weakest member. Still, I had a great time, and I wouldn't exchange this experience for anything."

* * *

So that's episode two!! The next episode will be good, I promise. Lol, I'll give you a hint about the next challenge: guys in mud. Haha, it's been so hilarious to write. Anyways, don't forget about the popularity pole!! Review if you want!!

Oh...and the title? Lol, well I was playing Guitar Hero: II the other day and I randomly thought about the John the Fisherman song. And there's a really crappy old movie called A Fish Named Wanda that my parents like, so I just mixed them together because this episode involved Gin the Foxy Fisherman. I know, it's really bad, lol.


	9. Episode 3

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Bleach or Survivor. I just stuck the two together.

**Rating: **T

**A/N: **Okay, well, here's episode three!! But I think it might be a couple of days before I uphold the next chapter. For one thing, I haven't started writing any of episode four at all, and for another, I have to finish a French project really quick because I've got an idea in my head and I don't wanna lose it!! Lol, I have to draw a picture, but it's like as big as a poster board...so I have to get crackin' lol. As always, thanks to everyone who reviewed!! You guys make me ridiculously happy!! And this story now has over 1,000 hits!! Thanks bunches you guys!!

* * *

**Soul Reaper Survivor  
****Episode Three – Contusions, Conniving and Combat, oh my!!**

The week after Momo's dismissal was interesting. Of course, Ichigo had gotten barraged by the stupid Women's Association about their concern that so far, only women had gone home. He'd had to tell them that it wasn't his fault, and there was nothing he could do about it. It was only after he'd assured them that the game wasn't out to get the women that they'd left him alone. Hopefully this week's episode wouldn't result in something similar.

He was late getting to the private viewing area and so missed the previous scenes and theme song, not that it mattered. Just as he was taking his seat, the scene shifted to the Shireyu beach. It was early morning on day seven, and the sun was just rising. Ikkaku was sitting out on the beach, his once bright red shirt now dirty, and burgundy at best. "I…wasn't expectin' Momo to go last night," he revealed. "It doesn't really affect me since I wasn't relyin' on her or somethin', but it showed me that I am definitely not in control of anythin'."

A few moments later, Kukaku walked down to the beach and joined him, though she was careful not to sit too close to him. An awkward silence developed. "I don't hold it against you, you know," Kukaku said finally, half-turning to look at Ikkaku.

"Eh?" he asked; oh yes, _very _intelligent.

"I don't care that you voted against me last night," she clarified. "It's all water under the bridge to me. Clean slate, we're moving on."

"How do you know I voted for you?" Ikkaku asked, frowning.

"Well, I sure as hell know that Grimmjow voted for me," Kukaku explained. "And since you and he are so tight, I figured that you'd probably voted for me too. If I'm wrong, then I'm sorry. But I don't think I'm wrong." She smirked.

"Oh," he said, looking away.

That only made Kukaku laugh. He looked back at her quizzically. "You don't have to look so terrified!" she said, still chuckling. "I'm not gonna bite your head off or anything!"

"I'm not terrified!" Ikkaku said indignantly.

"Of course you're not," she said, leaning back onto the sand. "You'd be an idiot to admit it."

* * *

"It was kind of awkward, coming back to camp last night after tribal council," Kukaku revealed to the camera. "After all, some people _did _vote for me, and hadn't been expecting me to come back. And it was even weirder because I _knew _who had voted for me, and they knew that I knew that, and I knew that they knew that I knew that. It was just really awkward. I wasn't quite sure how to act."

* * *

The scene shifted to the Uzukutora camp. Shots were shown of various people working, doing all the chores that needed to be done to keep themselves going. There was a group down by the water, gathering coconuts. There were a few collecting firewood. A couple were sitting by the fire, waiting for the water to boil. But Stark was lying down in the shelter, snoring away. As people passed through the middle of camp, they would look over at him; some would roll their eyes, others would sigh and some would just shake their heads.

* * *

"Stark is actually very lazy," Nanao said to the camera. "He doesn't really help out with any of the jobs we have to do around camp to make this place habitable." She began to count things off on her fingers. "He doesn't go get water, he doesn't go get firewood, he doesn't go out and try to fish…I think that the only thing he does is sleep. And everyone here knows it. And, yes, he's very strong in the challenges. But I think that if doesn't start to get up off his ass and do something to help out, he's going to find himself in a predicament that I can't see him getting out of. We have to work too damn hard to survive out here for someone to not do their share."

* * *

Shuhei and Renji were out in the woods, shirts off, chests slick with sweat, and looking very, very pissed off. "Dammit, if I have to see Stark sleepin' his ass off in the shelter one more frickin' time," Renji swore. "I swear to God, I'm gonna…" He shook his head, obviously trying very hard to restrain his anger. "I don't even know what I'm gonna do. I'm too pissed off to even think about it."

"He's tryin' to do as little as possible, so that he only does what he absolutely has to," Shuhei agreed, nodding. "Everyone can see it, and trust me, it's pissin' off more people than just you and me."

"Well, why the fuck doesn't someone say anythin' about it?" Renji demanded, throwing his arms in the air. "If we don't do somethin', he's just gonna lie there for hours with his ass in the air!" He was referring to one of Stark's very unusual sleeping positions.

"No one wants to start a conflict," Shuhei said. "And don't you go out there and start yellin' at him. That'll only make yourself a target. We all know that the guy doesn't do shit around camp. But if you go in there and yell at him, you're only gonna look like an idiot."

"I know," Renji said, sighing. "But, god, I gotta do somethin' or I'm gonna end up poppin' his head off like a fuckin' chicken."

* * *

"Hell, do I wanna go get firewood every freakin' day?" Renji asked of the camera, still looking very pissed off. "No! Do I wanna go scrape snails and mussels off the frickin' rocks every time I'm hungry? No! But do I do it? Yes! And why do I do it? Because if I don't, it won't get done. We all have to work together to make this camp work, and if someone decides that they ain't gonna do shit, then we're all pissed and angry about it. What I really wanna do is go in, yank 'im off his ass and knock 'im upside the head. But can I do that? No. And why? Because I'll get him mad at me, and then make myself a bigger target than I already am." He rolled his eyes. "It's fuckin' ridiculous."

* * *

Stark was laughing his head off in his one-on-one. He wiped his hand at his eyes, clearing up the tears he was getting from laughing so hard. "I can't believe that no one's said anything to me yet," he admitted. "I know I'm not doing anything in the way of work. And I know that that's pissing off my tribe. So why don't they say anything about it?" He laughed again. "Ah, hell, if I know!"

* * *

The scene shifted once again to the Shireyu beach. Ulquiorra and Rukia were down on the beach, wringing water out of their shirts. It was about midday, and the sun was beating down on them, hard. Rukia stood up and wiped the sweat off her forehead. "It's so hot out here," she complained, sitting back down in the sand and letting the cool water wash over her. "And it's only, what, day seven?"

Ulquiorra nodded. He stood up, putting a hand over his eyes as he looked up towards the sky. Surprisingly, his white skin wasn't sunburnt. The black number four tattoo on his chest stood out in stark comparison to his snowy skin. "It's interesting how fast the human body adapts to life out here in a tropical environment though," he said thoughtfully. "Already, we've fallen into a daily routine."

"Yeah," Rukia said; she wasn't bothering to fiddle with her shirt anymore. Now, she was just lounging in the water, trying to think about cold things. Ice, winter, snow…ice cream. She shook her head violently. No!! She couldn't think about food now. She had to force herself to not think about that. She could have ice cream after she'd won this game.

"So, you're in with this alliance thing?" Ulquiorra asked suddenly. His voice was low, quiet enough that only she could hear him. Not that there was anyone around to hear him.

"Yeah," she said, looking down into the clear blue water. "It's a good idea."

"It's a good idea for Nemu and Lisa," Ulquiorra said.

She looked up at that. "What do you mean?" she asked, frowning.

"Well, think about it," he explained. "If it gets down to the final five – which is how far I believe they're intending to take it – then it'll be Nemu, Lisa, you, me and Shinji. We vote off Shinji. Then I can see Nemu and Lisa getting you to vote out me. But think about it. Who goes next?"

She nodded. What he was saying made sense. After all, Nemu had come to her and said that _she and Lisa_ had wanted to make an alliance. Didn't that imply that she and Lisa had already made a previous alliance? That they were already working together? "And what are you suggesting?" Rukia asked Ulquiorra.

"The final three cannot be you, Lisa and Nemu," he said. "If you do not win the final immunity challenge, there is a good chance that they will vote you out. And no one wants to go out at three."

"So all we gotta do is beat 'em to the punch!" a cheerful voice said from behind them.

Rukia whirled around to see a beaming Shinji standing there, his stupid hat hanging down on his forehead. "How long have you been standing there?" she demanded crossly.

"Don't worry, I have already spoken to him," Ulquiorra assured her. "He was already aware that Lisa and Nemu are only including him in the alliance because they need his vote. So, when it gets down to only the five of us left, the three of us vote for Lisa or Nemu. At the next tribal council, the other one goes."

"But how do I know that you two don't have some sort of agreement?" Rukia asked.

"I give you my word that I do not have an alliance to the final two with Shinji," Ulquiorra said firmly. "You must have heard my reputation around the Seireitei; I do not give out my word without meaning it. When it gets to the final three, it will be every man for themselves. If you want, you could even make an alliance with Shinji to the final two."

"Why would you do that?" she asked. Was the guy an idiot?

"I plan on winning the final immunity challenge," Ulquiorra informed her. "That way, I can choose who sits next to me in the final two based on who I think I can beat. But in order to get to the final three, I need you."

Rukia thought about it for a moment. She was sure that Nemu and Lisa were together and wouldn't hesitate to vote her out third. Ulquiorra's word was very good; she _had _heard that in the Seireitei. And she knew that everything still depended on the final immunity challenge; Ulquiorra had stated that he planned to win it, but there was still a chance that she would win it. "Okay," she said. "I'm in. But you'd better not be lying to me, or I'll kill your ass."

* * *

"Oh, look," Renji said, snickering. He pointed down to the beach. All of the women on the Uzukutora tribe were heading down to the water, where Yumichika was already sitting in the water. "It's bath time."

Shuhei and Aizen, who were sitting beside him, joined in his gloating. "What's the point of even doin' that?" Shuhei asked. "They don't have any soap. Are they scrubbin' themselves with sand?"

"Every day since we've gotten here," Renji said – to the camera this time –, "Yumichika goes down to the beach when the sun starts goin' down. He'll sit out there for 'bout an hour, scrub his hair and his face with the sand and then lay out on the sand until he dries." He sniggered. "I guess he thinks that that makes him stink less than any of the rest of us." He shook his head. "It's not workin'."

"And now he's got all the girls goin' down there with him," Shuhei said, smiling. "It's like the gossip corner, or somethin'. They all go and get 'clean' while we three cook dinner. Stark just sleeps on his ass."

"I don't know if that was the best decision," Aizen revealed, grinning. "None of us are very good at cooking."

"Well, if they wanna go out and have bath time, we're the only ones left to cook the shit," Renji said, laughing. "It's not our problem if they don't like our food."

The scene shifted to the beach. All of the girls were currently scrubbing at their faces with sand, gently trying to scrape away the day's accumulation of dirt. "I never would have thought that rubbing sand on your face could make your skin so smooth," Nanao remarked, peering down at the sand in her hands. She was also currently glasses-less; she looked surprisingly pretty without her hair up and her glasses on and the glare she always wore around her Captain.

"Oh, of course it does!" Yumichika said. "It's like a scrub!"

"It kinda reminds me of the stuff I use at home," Rangiku said. "It's this apricot stuff with little microbeads in it that you massage into your skin. It works like a charm!"

"Oh my gosh, is it that St. Ives stuff that you found in the world of the living?" Yumichika asked, suddenly very serious. Rangiku nodded. "I love that stuff! It makes my skin feel so smooth, and the smell is to die for. How do you get it on a regular basis though?"

"I get Orihime to buy it for me, and then she gives it to Rukia, who gives it to me!" Rangiku explained. "But she buys it in the large tub form, so I get more."

"I've never really used facial products before," Soi Fon admitted, rubbing gingerly at her cheeks with the sand. "It was always just soap and water for me."

"Seriously?" Yumichika asked, shocked. "But you have such clear skin!"

Soi Fon shrugged. "I also thought it was because I exercise so much that my body is always too busy forming muscle to worry about my face getting oily or something," she said. "Should I be more worried about it?"

"Oh, god, as much as you work out, you should be using a cleanser every day!" Yumichika insisted. "And you should use a mask at least once a week to get all the sweat out of your pores." He sighed. "We are going to have to take you shopping sometime once this is over."

* * *

"I was never really very feminine, growing up," Soi Fon revealed to the camera. "I was always training to be in the Punishment Force, and then once I was selected to be a member of Lady Yoruichi's personal guards…I just never thought about trying to look good. And still, I'm surrounded by mostly men in my squad. I don't really have that many female friends. It's…kind of nice to be here on a tribe with women, especially girly ones like Rangiku and Kiyone. I guess I'm discovering a side of Soi Fon that I didn't even know was buried in this little body." She smiled.

* * *

There was another brief break. When the program returned, it to Shireyu's beach, in the early morning hours on day eight. The sun was just rising and everyone had just gotten up, sitting around the fire and looking like they might fall asleep at any given moment. Rukia was standing back a little ways from the fire, rubbing at her face. She was still very tired, but they had to get up and do the daily chores early since they would inevitably have a challenge that day.

"So, who wants to go check the mail with me?" Kukaku asked, standing up and putting her hands on her hips.

"I'll go," Rukia volunteered; hey, she was already standing. Kukaku nodded and they walked off down the beach towards the little trail that led to the "mailbox". Along the way, they discussed little things about camp life, not really talking about anything in particular.

"Ah, here it is," Kukaku said as they came around the final bend in the trail. The familiar leather bag that hung on the low branches of a tree swayed in the wind as they approached. "Let's see what we've got today." She reached into the bag and pulled out what appeared to be a thin scrap of blue fabric. There were words painted on the back. "Huh," she said, looking it over. "Let's take this back to camp."

Rukia studied the material in Kukaku's hands as she walked. It looked like it could be part of a blanket. Did that mean that blankets were the reward? She was still thinking about it when they walked back into camp.

"So what's the challenge this time?" Grimmjow asked, yawning. "I hope it's somethin' rough, cuz I'm dyin' to punch somethin'."

Kukaku held up the scrap of cloth and read the message out loud. "'One part strength, one part skill, in this next challenge you must go in for the kill. In this environment, it's comfort you lack. So push your way to victory and pick up the slack. Sleeping is hard and it's cold to boot; that's no way to be. Defeat the other tribe one-on-one and relaxation you'll seize.'"

"Oh, god, it's a full-on brawl!" Grimmjow said excitedly.

* * *

This time when the challenge scene emerged, they weren't near a beach. Instead, this time they'd traveled deeper into the island, in a clearing surrounded by thick jungle terrain. The Uzukutora tribe came in first and stood on their mat. Ichigo called in the Shireyu tribe. "Momo voted out at the last tribal council," the host continued. When both tribes were present, he clapped his hands together and grinned. "You guys ready for today's challenge? Today's a good one. So far, you guys have competed against each other, but you haven't fought outright _against _each other.

"For today's challenge, you are going to fight each other in a series of one-on-one battles, male versus male, female versus female," Ichigo continued. "To be doing that, we've set up a field for you guys. To make it safer, the field is mud." He pointed to the field behind him, which was completely covered in thick, goopy brown mud. "Each tribe will have their own zone at each end. In the middle is the battle zone. Your goal is to get to the other tribe's zone, grab one of the opposing tribe's flags and get it back to your tribe's area, where you'll hang it up on your rope. The first team to get three of the opposing tribe's flags wins.

"Here's the rules. You cannot steal the flags that the tribe has already hung up. You must take the flags out of the barrel. You cannot punch, kick, slap or choke your opponent. That will result in a penalty. If you get a penalty, your team loses a flag and the opposing tribe gets a free flag. Other than kicking, slapping, punching or choking, though, anything's fair game. Wanna know what you're playing for?" The tribes nodded. "Well, I figure that by now, eight days in, you've started to notice that sleeping out here can get pretty rough. So, to make things easier for you," he pulled the burlap off the reward, "three, thick blankets to keep you warm and a tarp you can put on your shelter to keep out the rain. Worth playing for? Okay, let's get to it!"

Ichigo had climbed up on a side platform so that he could have a better view of the fights. "Okay, the first round is going to be man versus man," he said. "For Uzukutora, it's Renji; for Shireyu, it's Ikkaku. Survivors ready…GO!" Renji and Ikkaku both ran towards each other, determination clear on their faces. Instead of avoiding each other, they decided to meet each other head on. They slammed into each other with an audible smack, going down in the mud.

Renji quickly pushed Ikkaku down, shoving the other man's face into the mud as he stood up to race towards the Shireyu's area. But Ikkaku wasn't having that; as Renji got up, he grabbed onto the other man's ankle, sliding forward a bit as Renji went down. Renji pulled his face out of the mud and grabbed Ikkaku's arms, yanking himself out of the other man's reach. Both men got up; Renji ran for all he was worth towards Shireyu's zone, Ikkaku trailing him. The bald man let Renji take a flag, standing at the exit to the zone defensively.

Renji looked around for a good way to escape. He moved left; so did Ikkaku. He moved right; Ikkaku mimicked his movements. Finally, he sighed and put the flag firmly between his teeth. Suddenly, he dashed to the right and sprinted for all he was worth to the other side of the zone. Ikkaku leaped after him and pinned him to the ground just as Renji reached the outer boundary of Uzukutora's area. Renji grunted and began to slowly pull himself forward along the ground.

Ikkaku held him fast, trying to impede his movements as much as possible. Both tribes were screaming their heads off by now. They were anxious to see which of these titans would pull out with a victory. Suddenly, after a few moments of no movement, Renji thrust himself up off the ground, surprising Ikkaku long enough to make his grip on the red-haired man go slack. Renji dashed to the rope and pulled the flag from his teeth, scoring the first point for Uzukutora. He was breathing heavily and covered in mud from head to toe…but he'd won.

"Okay, the next round is woman versus woman," Ichigo announced. "For Uzukutora, it's Nanao; for Shireyu, it's Kukaku. Survivors ready…GO!" The women were a bit slower from the start, their battle plans obviously different from Renji and Ikkaku. Kukaku smirked, and suddenly dashed forward. Nanao ran away, evidently trying to get past the other woman's blatant attack. But Kukaku wasn't having that. She took a jump and landed on Nanao's back, forcing the other woman into the mud.

Kukaku grunted and got off Nanao, grabbing her arms by the wrists and dragging her along the ground to the barrel of orange flags. She plunged headfirst into the barrel and caught one with her teeth, her arms busy holding a struggling Nanao down. She was now in a predicament, however…did she run for it, leaving Nanao here, or did she drag the other woman with her? Nanao made the decision for her.

The bespectacled woman jerked free and rushed Kukaku, taking the other woman down…or at least, she tried to. Kukaku merely laughed and shoved Nanao down in the mud, completely burying her face in the brown goop. She used the other woman's back as a springboard and jumped towards the opposing area, easily scoring a point for Shireyu.

"For the next round, it's Shuhei for Uzukutora and Shinji for Shireyu," Ichigo announced. "Survivors ready…GO!" Shuhei had the obvious advantage in muscle here. He quickly pinned Shinji to the ground and sprinted towards the flags; he was able to grab one before Shinji could even push himself back up. But the Vizard wasn't giving up yet!

As Shuhei began to run back towards his tribe's zone, Shinji launched himself at his legs, entangling them both. He ripped the red flag out of Shuhei's hands and shoved it down his shorts; obviously, Shuhei wasn't feeling risky enough to try and get it out. Shinji extricated himself from the mess of limbs and began to move towards Uzukutora's zone. But Shuhei wasn't giving up. He grabbed onto the other man's waist, attempting to bring him down.

Shinji stumbled and shuffled, but he didn't quite fall. Surprisingly, he bore Shuhei's dead weight until he reached the barrel of orange flags and stuffed one in his mouth. In a move of strength that surpassed everyone's expectations of the slender man, Shinji put his hands on Shuhei's chest and shoved the other man as hard as he could. Shuhei slipped on a patch of particularly liquid mud and fell on his butt, cursing. Seizing this new opportunity, Shinji raced back to his own zone, smiling wildly at the crazy cheers from his teammates.

"Here's where the score stands!" Ichigo called out as the next two women took the field. "Uzukutora has one point, Shireyu has two. If Shireyu scores one more time, they win reward. The next round is woman versus woman. For Uzukutora, it's Rangiku. For Shireyu, it's Nemu. Survivors ready…GO!"

Nemu decided to stay back a bit and play it smart, waiting for Rangiku to make her move. But Rangiku was determined and desperate to keep her tribe alive. She dashed forward, tackling Nemu to the ground and then straddling her. She pushed Nemu's face into the mud, shoving hard as she sprung up and used the moment to retrieve a red flag. When she turned around, Nemu was up again, mud covering the entire front of her body.

Rangiku put the flag between her teeth and dashed forward, hoping to use her height advantage to knock the woman off balance. But Nemu was ready this time; she braced herself for impact, and when Rangiku slammed into her, she stood her ground. But what did Nemu not have that Rangiku had? A set of boobs big enough to count as a legitimate weapon of attempted suffocation in a court of law. Inadvertently, when Rangiku slammed into Nemu, the other woman's head hit right at the chest level.

An idea coming to her, Rangiku smirked and pushed the other woman into her chest, ignoring Nemu's flailing arms and muffled words. Dragging the woman with her, Rangiku loped to her team's area in a strange trot-like gait, waiting until she pinned the flag on the rope before releasing Nemu. The other woman landed in the mud with a splat gasping, face purple from lack of oxygen.

"Well, it's come to this!" Ichigo said, unable to quiet contain his glee. "Both tribes now have two points, and it only takes three to win! The final round will be man versus man!" Both groups looked to be assessing who their strongest members were. After a few moments of hesitation, two men stepped forward, both surprisingly unfazed by the pressure. "Okay, for Uzukutora, it's Stark! For Shireyu, it's Grimmjow! Survivors ready…GO!"

It had come down to this. Funny how most challenges seemed to come down to the wire like this, isn't it? As soon as Ichigo had said "go", it was like two ferocious animals had been released from their cages. Two animals that had been deprived of food and poked at with sticks by annoying little kids for hours. It was like a cataclysmic battle between two great titans fighting for world domination. The Blue Panther vs. Sleeping Bum. Who would prevail?

The two smacked into each other with enough force to make an audible thud. Both tribes winced as the two pushed and shoved at each other, slipping and sliding in the mud until the only way to recognize them was by determining which one was going what way. Suddenly, Grimmjow fell to his knees and crashed into Stark's legs, sending them both tumbling down to the ground. Stark let out a cry of pain as he fell.

Grimmjow, seizing his opportunity, stood up and ran for all he was worth to the barrel of orange flags, grabbing one and capturing it between his unnaturally long canines. Stark had gotten up by now, but was limping badly. Every time he moved, he would wince in pain; his normally half-lidded, dazed expression had been replaced with a grimace.

Still, the blue-haired man approached him cautiously, waiting to see whether or not Stark was just pulling an act. He dashed past the limping man, surprised when no attack was made. He easily placed the final flag up on Shireyu's rope, cheers rising from his tribemates. He turned around to see Stark limping off the field, his left ankle slightly swollen.

"Stark, you okay?" Ichigo asked. The man pushed his muddy, tangled hair out of his face and nodded.

"Yeah, I'll be fine," he answered. "Just tweaked it a bit."

Ichigo nodded. "Okay then," he said. "Shireyu, come get your reward. Sorry, Uzukutora; another close loss, but still, a loss. I've got nothing for ya; go ahead and head on back to camp."

* * *

The mood back at Uzukutora beach was odd when they got back from the challenge. Stark was still limping, being supported on either side by Rangiku and Yumichika. He sank down by the fire, extending his left leg out to survey the damage.

"Oh, Stark, that looks bad," Rangiku said, kneeling down beside him to look at his ankle. The camera zoomed in on the man's ankle. It was red and swollen, a long gash on the side where a rock must've cut him. A large purple bruise had formed around the gash, making his ankle look like some kind of diseased fruit. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine," Stark said through clenched teeth. "I've had worse, trust me."

"Do you need to lie down?" Soi Fon asked, looking down at his ankle nervously. "I don't like the looks of that." She shook her head; she had enough combat experience to know when an injury was serious and when it was just annoying.

"Yeah…that might be good," Stark said, for once completely serious. He lay back, still keeping his wounded leg slightly bent.

"Can you move your ankle?" Kiyone asked; her sister was the lieutenant of squad four, after all. She did have some knowledge of medical situations.

Stark tried to bend his ankle a little bit and instantly winced in pain. "No," he said, panting. "I can't move it. It hurts like frickin' hell."

* * *

"I'm really worried about Stark's ankle," Kiyone confessed to the camera. "My sister, Isane, taught me some of the basics about medicine and injuries, and stuff like that. And I while I don't know that much, I do know that if you can't move an appendage without it hurting, there's a chance that a bone is broken, or he's bruised the inside of his ankle, or something's bleeding in there and not coming out of the gash…I just don't know. It's really serious right now. We don't want him to lose that ankle because of an injury."

* * *

Later that night, Stark still hadn't moved from his position by the fire. He had his eyes closed and had propped his head up on a couple of palm fronds. Kiyone was sitting down beside him, offering him water occasionally. The rest of the tribe, except for Yumichika, had gone to bed. They'd decided that two people would stay up at all times, watching out for Stark and making sure that his ankle didn't take a drastic turn for the worse.

"What do you think?" Yumichika asked her quietly. "You've got some medical knowledge, right?"

Kiyone shook her head. "I don't know," she said softly. "Isane only ever taught me the basics. But it doesn't look good. He can't move his ankle, and that could indicate something really serious. It's clear that it's not just a twisted ankle or a little cut. And I know that cuts near joints aren't good, because if an infection sets in, it moves straight to the joint."

"What would we do if that happen, and an infection did set in?" Yumichika asked, a slightly worried tone creeping into his voice.

"Unless he received immediate medical treatment, he could lose that ankle," Kiyone whispered.

There was silence for a moment. "Well, let's hope that doesn't happen," Yumichika said finally.

"Yes," Kiyone agreed. "Let's hope.

* * *

The next day, as both tribes came in for the immunity challenge, Stark wasn't even able to walk in to the clearing. Instead, he had to be carried on a makeshift stretched by Renji and Shuhei. The Shireyu tribe looked over, shocked to see the man in such a defeated state. Ichigo had his hands on his hips, his usual scowl in place. "Uzukutora, what's with the stretcher?" he asked.

"Well, Stark took a fall yesterday at the challenge and busted his ankle up," Renji spoke up.

"Stark, what happened?" Ichigo asked, moving a bit closer.

"I think what happened was when Grimmjow ran into me yesterday during the challenge and I fell in the mud, I landed wrong," Stark replied. "I would've just twisted it, but there must've been a rock or something in the mud, cause I've got this big gash on my ankle, and it's just nasty."

Ichigo looked down at the ankle and shook his head. "We're gonna have to call in medical on this one," he said. He turned around and shouted to the medics, – who were just out of the vision of the cameras, but always present at the challenges – "Hey, I need someone to come take a look at an injury!" Instantly, a small man in cargo shorts and t-shirt that appeared two sizes too big for him came over, his black hair tied back in a small ponytail.

"Hiya, Ichigo!" Hanataro said, smiling. "Who's injured?"

"Take a look at Stark's ankle, will ya?" Ichigo asked, gesturing with his hands at the man's ankle. Hanataro bent down, his expression going from cheerful to serious as he inspected the injury. "What're your thoughts?"

"Well," Hanataro said, pulling a pair of gloves from his pocket and putting them on, "It looks pretty bad, to be honest." He began to poke and prod at the man's ankle gently. "This challenge was yesterday, right? That's enough time for an infection to settle in, especially when he's living in such a dirty environment with an open wound. I'd say that it's already infected. And since the cut's so close to his ankle joint, he's in serious danger of losing control over his foot."

"Are we gonna have to remove him from the game?" Ichigo asked. There were horrified looks from the Uzukutora and Shireyu tribes alike; was Stark really in that much danger? "Can you do anything here?"

"I can, but it wouldn't be my first choice," Hanataro said, looking up. "I'd prefer to take him back to the Seireitei and let a more experienced healer look at this. I can heal it and clear up the infection, but we'll need to monitor him to make sure that the infection doesn't come back. If I just healed him now, there's a chance that I wouldn't get it all and he could still lose a foot."

Ichigo sighed. "Did ya hear all that, Stark?" he asked. The man nodded. "The safety of the Survivors comes before a contestant's participation in the game. We don't really have a choice; since the medics seem to think it's pretty serious, I'm afraid we're gonna have to evacuate you."

Stark nodded. "S'okay," he mumbled. "I'd rather keep my foot, thanks." He cracked a wry grin.

"Okay then," Ichigo said. He turned to Hanataro. "Let's get him ready to take back to the Seireitei." Hanataro nodded and went off to return moments later with a team of fourth squad members. They transferred Stark onto a more recognizable gurney and lifted him up.

"Bye, Stark," Kiyone said, tearing up. "We'll be thinking about you."

"Yeah, take it easy," Shuhei said, looking sincere.

The rest of Uzukutora wished their best to the injured man. Even Shireyu offered their get-well wishes as the man was transported out of the clearing and towards a boat that was waiting in the water. For a moment, there was silence. No one was quite sure what to say.

"Well," Ichigo said. "Since Stark's had to be evacuated, there is no need to run an immunity challenge. Lemme make it clear that he is no longer a contestant in this game. Uzukutora has lost one member. There will be no tribal council. But before you guys leave, Grimmjow, what're your thoughts on all this?"

"Damn, I feel kinda bad," he said, surprisingly remorseful. "I mean, I was the one who tripped him."

"It's not your fault though," Ichigo assured him. "You didn't do anything illegal in that challenge."

"No, no, I get that," Grimmjow said quickly. "Still, it makes me feel kinda guilty."

Ichigo nodded. "Kiyone, you're upset?" he asked the visibly crying woman.

Kiyone nodded, wiping at her eyes. "It's just hard," she said, shrugging. Shuhei – who was closest to her – put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "I mean, we're out here playing a game, but this is real. We're all tired, and hungry, and dirty, and we've all got our scrapes and bruises. But I don't think it really hit home with how _real _this entire situation is until Stark got injured."

Renji nodded. "Yeah, I mean, sure we're all in this to win it, but it's a game," he said. "When someone's health is at stake, you just can't risk it. No prize is worth permanently harmin' your body. Like Kiyone said, I think we all just got a real reality check." There were nods of agreement.

"Well, as sad a mood as this is, you do have to remember that you're still playing this game," Ichigo reminded. "One more person has just signed out, even though he wasn't voted out. You guys are still alive and fighting for that prize. Don't let this get you in a funk that you won't get out of. This game is far from over. Take your things and head on back to camp."

And so ended episode three.

* * *

This episode was kind of sad to write. It made me think of one of my favorite Survivivors ever - James from China and Micronesia - who had to be evacuated because he gouged a hole in one of his fingers. Yeah, I know, big burly guy gets taken out by a clam shell. That episode made me very sad.

But anyways, lol, that was episode three. I hope you guys liked it!!

And thanks again for the all the reviews and hits and favorites and alerts!! I never really thought this story was that great, but one of my friends was like, "No, you have to put it up." So I did. Haha, thanks Creampuff. He knows who he is. As always, review if you want!! I never expected this many reviews, but hey, you guys seriously don't know how retarded I look when I read them all. It makes me ridiculously happy. And don't forget to vote for your choice in the popularity poll!!

* * *


	10. Episode 4

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Bleach or Survivor. I just stuck the two of them together.

**Rating: **T

**A/N: **Wow, that's the longest time I've gone without updating this story!! I have to say sorry because I had to work yesterday and today, so I didn't really get much chance to write. And then there was some drama over a bad decision I mad that I had to fix. And then I dyed my hair and my dad didn't like it...hehe, well, I don't regret that. It's purty now. Anyways, I apologize for the delay!! Thanks again for all the reviews!! I appreciate everyone who takes the time to do that because it inspires me to write more (and quicker, haha!!). So, here's chapter four!!

* * *

**Soul Reaper Survivor  
****Episode Four – Desperate Times Call for Desperate Measures**

The morning of day ten dawned bright and early on the Uzukutora beach. No one looked to be up yet except for Aizen, who was gathering coconuts down by the beach. His hair was a mess, his glasses were dirty and his white t-shirt was smudged with dirt and grime and God knew what else. He'd go out and comb the palm trees for a few coconuts and then bring them back to camp, setting them down in a small pile before heading out for more.

One time as he was doing this, Shuhei was watching him from the shelter, bleary eyed and still very much dazed. He yawned and rubbed at his eyes, but made no move to get up.

* * *

"I'm not sure exactly what Aizen was doin' this mornin'," Shuhei later revealed to the camera. "Yes, we need coconuts, but it was like he was preparin' for a frickin' feast. We don't need that many coconuts, and hopefully we can start gettin' somethin' from the ocean. Cuz I'm gettin' tired of coconuts for one, and I know a lot of other people are too."

* * *

"My thoughts with the coconuts were that I was really getting tired of waking up some mornings and not having any coconuts around camp," Aizen later explained himself. "If I gather as many as I can, I can relax a bit more in the mornings and not have to worry about gathering coconuts. I know my tribe probably thinks I'm preparing for a monsoon, but that's okay." He cracked a wry grin.

* * *

Meanwhile, over at the Shireyu camp, there seemed to be a slight problem. Several people were gathered around the fire pit, and more were sitting down and listening to the ongoing conversation. "We need to move one or the other," Kukaku said, putting her hands on her hips. "Our fire has gotten out of control. If we don't move it or our shelter, then I have a feeling the shelter's gonna go up in flames at some point."

"I don't really wanna move the fire," Grimmjow said. "It took us forever to get the fuckin' thing lit up. I'm not going through tryin' to get it again if it accidentally gets blown out."

Ulquiorra shook his head. "And I disagree," he said. "It took almost all of the first day just to build our shelter and then make it comfortable. We had a lot more energy on the first day than we do now. Besides, this is probably the best place for the shelter, considering the rest of the surrounding area. It would be much easier to move our fire a bit further down."

"Yeah," Rukia said. "It would take forever to take down the shelter _and_ rebuild it. And if we've got a challenge coming up, we can't afford to be tired."

"You're assumin' it's a physical challenge," Grimmjow pointed out.

"Well, we haven't had any purely mental challenges so far," Kukaku pointed out.

"So we are in agreement then that the fire should be moved?" Ulquiorra asked.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa," Grimmjow said, looking angry. "We never agreed on anythin'!"

"Grimmjow, it is only logical that we move the fire," Ulquiorra said, rolling his eyes. "It is much smaller in size than the shelter, as well as much more easily rebuilt. We cannot waste our energy on such an unnecessary task."

"Well, who died and made you king of the fuckin' world?" Grimmjow demanded. "You can't just go and make all the fuckin' decisions for the rest of us! I don't wanna move the fire!"

"And does anyone agree with Grimmjow?" Kukaku demanded. She looked around at the rest of the tribe, but they all seemed somewhat reluctant to get in on the action. She sighed and looked over at the blue-haired man. "Grimmjow, just give it up. No one's taking your side."

"Only because they're too frickin' afraid to give a damn answer!" Grimmjow yelled, stalking off. Kukaku shook her head as he left.

* * *

"Grimmjow's an asshole," she said later to the camera. "He doesn't seem to care that he doesn't really fit in here. He's always knocking Ulquiorra's suggestions aside as if they're stupid, even though Ulquiorra's generally got pretty good ideas. Grimmjow is just like a bomb that's waiting to explode. There's been a lot of minor arguments like the one today. But I have a feeling that in a few days or so, Grimmjow is just gonna explode and have a complete meltdown."

* * *

Back at camp, Ulquiorra, Kukaku and Rukia were shown moving the fire down to a new pit that Gin and Shinji had dug. Grimmjow was still skulking around on the beach, his arms crossed over his chest. Ikkaku soon went down to join him. "This whole situation is just a bunch of bullshot," Grimmjow confided to his only ally. If he could even call the bald man that. They'd never made a formal alliance or anything. After all, he didn't really need alliances.

"It mighta been better if you'd just kept your mouth shut," Ikkaku said reproachfully.

"What the hell did you just say?" Grimmjow asked dangerously, glaring at the other man.

Ikkaku shrugged and sat down in the water, letting it lap around his legs to cool him off. "You heard me," he said. "Are you aware of how much you piss everyone off?" He laughed. "Probably not, as oblivious as you are." His face grew serious again. "Look, I'm not tryin' to tell you what to do or anythin', but you might wanna stop bein' such a prick around camp, or you'll get yourself voted out faster'n you can blink."

* * *

"I'm not in an alliance with Grimmjow," Ikkaku revealed once he was alone. "But I guess you could say we're friends. I went to him today as a friend tryin' to give him some advice. I dunno if he'll listen to me. Probably not, but hey, I've said what I can. I don't wanna see him go yet because he is so strong, but then again, it would probably be better to get rid of him before a merge for the same reason. And now that's he's startin' actin' like an idiot, there's a chance that he'll get voted off next just because he's been an ass."

* * *

The scene shifted to Ulquiorra and Rukia going to get more water. "I can't believe how much of a jerk he is!" Rukia said as soon as they were out of earshot of camp. "It was like he wouldn't even listen to us! If he couldn't have things his way, then – too bad!" She rolled her eyes. "He's acting like a big baby."

Ulquiorra shrugged. "He has always acted that way," he said. "It was like that back in the Seireitei, too. If you did not agree with him, you were against him, and therefore, his enemy. It's a very simple logic."

Rukia snorted. "Simple logic for a simple person," she said.

"Yes, well, it's about all he's capable of," Ulquiorra said, agreeing. They reached the water well and pulled their pot up to rest on the top of the well. Slowly, they began to fill the large pot, being careful not to spill a drop. Water was a commodity too precious to waste here.

"At least he's making it easy for the rest of the tribe to hate him," Rukia pointed out.

"Yes, this situation could be very advantageous for us," he agreed. "In multiple ways, even."

Rukia stopped and stared at the pale man beside her. "How could you want to do anything but vote out that jerk?" she asked, appalled. "You hate him!"

"True," Ulquiorra said. "But we could always pull him in as a back-up vote if we needed him. It would be a perfect secret, because no one would ever suspect that me and him would ever work together to achieve the same goal."

"Oh my god, you're right," she said, thinking. "But if we pulled him in, then that's four of us. Would it better to get rid of Lisa and Nemu now, while we're still on separate tribes? Cause if we don't get rid of them now, they'll be pretty pissed off when we _do _vote them off, and then they'll be on the jury too."

"Yes, I'd been wondering about that myself," he said softly. "The only thing is, once we vote one of them off, the other won't trust us at all. If we don't vote off at least one more person before them, then there is a chance that the remaining one of them could band together with the rest of the members of the tribe and force a tie. Or, a worst case scenario would be that they could pull in the other three tribe members _and _Grimmjow, since our tie to him would be a loose one at best."

Rukia sighed. "This is so complicated," she said, as they finished filling the pot. She slung her canteen back over her shoulder and covered the well.

"We'll just have to wait and see what happens at the next challenge," Ulquiorra said. "Until we know what's going on, we cannot make a move."

* * *

The scene shifted to Uzukutora's beach. Rangiku was laying out on the beach in the shade of a couple of palm trees, clad only in her lime green bikini with pink hearts near the strings that went around her neck. Shuhei was sitting next to her in his black swimming trunks, staring out at the ocean. He looked down at the woman next to him every now and then, smirking.

"I never knew you got your bellybutton pierced, Rangiku," he said. "When did that happen?"

"Hmm?" Rangiku asked, cracking an eye open. "Oh, that thing?" She giggled. "Well, I was off-duty one night and was out with a couple of my girlfriends, and went to a few bars and had a couple of drinks. Somehow, we all thought it would be a great idea if we went and got some kind of piercing at a tattoo parlor down the street."

"So you were drunk?" he asked, smiling.

"I don't get drunk, Shuhei!" she said, opening her eyes and smiling. She winked. "You should know that!"

"Of course," he agreed, a smirk still lingering on his lips.

"I could ask the same thing about that tattoo on your face," she commented. "69, huh? That your favorite position?" She giggled.

He shrugged. "Depends on the partner," he said wickedly, smiling. They looked at each other for a moment, and then both of them burst out laughing.

* * *

"Oh, Shuhei," Rangiku said in a one-on-one. She smiled and then laughed. "He's a sweetie, alright. I like spending time with him, he's a nice guy. And he's a lot easier to talk to than a lot of guys I know. He's very…open, I guess you could say." She shrugged. "It doesn't hurt that he's pretty damn hot too." She laughed again.

* * *

"Yeah, me 'n Rangiku flirt with each other," Shuhei said, smiling guiltily. "It's nice to just have someone out here that you just enjoy spendin' time with. We don't have an alliance, so we can just sit and talk about anythin' and know that it's legit. I guess there's a bit of attraction there." He made an amused sort of noise. "I mean, look at her, any idiot could see that's she's absolutely stunnin', with that smokin' body of hers." He shrugged. "I don't know about right now, but it could grow into somethin' more. Anythin' can happen!"

* * *

"I'm not really sure what's going on between Shuhei and Rangiku," Yumichika confessed to the camera. "But everybody here has seen them flirt with each other like crazy. Personally, I think it's beautiful, but I do have to worry about the fact that I'm in a four-way alliance with Shuhei. Getting personally attached to Rangiku could present a problem when we have to vote her off, because at some point, we will. That's the reality of it, and I know that Shuhei could be impacted by that relationship. But I don't know what's going on with them. I don't even know if they have an alliance. I'll just have to see what I can do to figure some things out."

* * *

After a brief TV break, the scene returned to Uzukutora's beach, where Renji and Shuhei were busy going to check the mail. Shuhei reached down in the bag and pulled out what looked like a bowl, a small note lodged inside it. "Oh god, it's a bowl," Renji said, sounding slightly nervous.

Shuhei looked over at him, confused. "Um…yeah?" he said, wondering why Renji was so freaked out by a bowl.

"That means we have to eat somethin', I bet," Renji continued. "I don't like eatin' stuff when I have no clue what it is. And I don't like spicy stuff. Or weird stuff. Or bitter stuff. Or sour stuff."

"Then what the hell _do _you like?" Shuhei asked, frowning.

"Normal stuff," Renji said, blinking as if it were the obvious answer.

Shuhei just rolled his eyes and jerked his head back in the direction of camp. "Let's just go and read this to everybody," he said, sounding amused. They walked back to camp, Renji making little comments about stupid people who liked stupid food that was impossible for normal people to eat or enjoy. Shuhei's smirk grew. He handed the note to Renji when they reached the camp, and the red-haired man read it aloud to everyone.

"'How much can you take? Can you work through pain? It's all in your head, but how strong's you brain? This one is easy; just get it all down. Choke up here, and the enemy you'll crown.'" He looked up, and gulped. "Well…we're eatin' shit tonight!"

"I wonder what kind of food they're going to give us," Soi Fon said thoughtfully. "I hope that's it's not too terrible."

"Hey, Orihime's helping with the challenges, right?" Rangiku asked suddenly. Everyone nodded. "What if we have to eat some of her cooking?" The rest of the tribe's faces grew horrified. But Rangiku looked excited, and was smiling. "I love her food! This is gonna be the easiest challenge ever!"

"Maybe for you and your iron stomach," Renji muttered, walking away from camp. "Not for me."

* * *

The two tribes both walked in at the same time for this challenge, considering that everyone knew Stark had gone home. Both tribes sat down on two pairs of wooden bleachers set apart from each other. Ichigo was standing behind a bar of some sort, a blender on one side of the bar and a raised cabinet section on the other, the doors open for only Ichigo to see.

"What's up, guys?" Ichigo asked, smirked. "You ready for today's challenge?" There were noises and nods of assent. "Okay, so the concept of today's challenge is very simple. One person from each tribe is gonna come up and pick a numbered coin outta this bag." He motioned to the burlap bag that was sitting in front of him. "Those numbers correspond to twenty different food ingredients, some of which taste good, some of which don't.

"The two food items that both Survivors pick are gonna be blended together with this blender," Ichigo said, patting the blender beside him fondly. "I might add in a few spices or condiments, and then, we'll split up what comes up, and the two tribe members will have to drink it. For every time a tribe member gets their concoction down completely, they score a point for their team. At the end of nine rounds, whoever has the most points wins. If the teams are tied after nine rounds, we'll go into a tiebreaker. Wanna know what you're playin' for?"

Both teams nodded eagerly. Ichigo smirked. "The good news is, the winning tribe will eat tonight," he explained. "You'll have burgers, hot dogs, chips, French fries, and, of course, beer." There were wild shouts of exclamation and groans of desire at that. "The bad news is that you'll be eating at tribal council." The noise instantly stopped. "Because, win or lose, both tribes are gonna send someone home tonight." Both tribes were serious now. "Okay, then. Let's get started. Uzuzkutora, since you have eight members instead of nine, whoever goes first for you will have to go twice. When you've decided who that's gonna be, the first two members can come on up."

"Okay, Shuhei and Ikkaku, pull out your numbers." Ikkaku pulled out a 5, while Shuhei pulled out a 20. Ichigo reached into the cabinets and pulled out the corresponding food items. "Well, well, well, we got fried clams and pickled eggs." Ichigo gleefully put the two items in the blender and added some ketchup on top for good measure. He blended the noxious mixture up and then divvied it up into two glasses, placing one in front of each guy. Both men drank it down in one breath, not stopping to really taste it.

"Up next, it's Nanao and Nemu," Ichigo continued. They pulled their numbers and Ichigo got out the ingredients. "Oh, yum, chicken and white chocolate! But we can't just stop there, right? So let's add a bit of soy sauce." The resulting drink was even worse than the first one. But both women managed to gulp it down, after a small initial struggle.

Yumichika and Shinji were lucky enough to get white chocolate and strawberries. Ichigo added in some mustard for balance, but apparently the sweetness of the two items overpowered the sharp mustard, because Yumichika said he couldn't even taste it. Kiyone and Rukia weren't so lucky, however. They got avocado and veal. Added in with the mayonnaise Ichigo couldn't help but add, the two girls just barely managed to get everything down.

But now it was Renji's turn. He was up against Grimmjow. The two pulled out their numbers, which were a 6 and an 11. "Alright," Ichigo said, nodding. "We got some…pineapple – imagine that – and some liver!" Renji sighed. "But Renji, since I know how much you love spicy food, I think I'll spice it up for ya." Ichigo's eyes gleamed deviously. "Let's add some cayenne pepper." Renji looked up at him, horrified, while Grimmjow snickered. Ichigo put the mix in the blender, fixed it up, and put the resulting concution into two glasses. Renji stared at it with disgust. "Enjoy!" Ichigo said mischievously.

Renji grabbed his and stared at it. Grimmjow just picked it up and lazily began to drink it down, apparently unfazed by how disgusting it was. Renji stared at it for a few moments more and then slowly began to drink it down. His face grew redder…and redder…now it was slightly purple-tinged…his eyes were bulging as he drank down the last tiny bit. He slammed the glass down on the table, breathing heavily as his team cheered for him.

"Nicely done," Ichigo commented. "Next two!" Aizen and Gin ironically got pineapples and strawberries, which couldn't have been bad. Rangiku and Kukaku managed to get down some liver and veal soup with honey down. Soi Fon and Lisa were next, stomaching clams and avocado. Ulquiorra and Shuhei came back for the final round, both of whom managed to eat the mix of sausage and cauliflower with pickle relish easily.

"Okay," Ichigo said after all of the first rounds had been completed. "So here's where we stand. Each tribe has nine points right now. Here's how the tiebreaker's gonna work. Each tribe will select a member of the opposing team to get down one final concoction. You can choose anyone you like. In the tiebreaker, it isn't just a matter of getting it down. It will be a timed race, where the winner will be the tribe member who gets it down the fastest. And this mix ain't gonna be chosen by you; I get to make it this time. So, discuss it among yourselves and choose your victims."

After a few minutes of strategizing, each team had made their selection. "Uzukutora, who're you gonna pick?" Ichigo asked the orange tribe.

"We decided on Rukia," Aizen said. Rukia nodded and took a deep breath, moving to come forward.

"What about you, Shireyu?" Ichigo asked.

"Renji," Ikkaku said, smirking. A mortified and pissed off looking Renji stepped down and joined Rukia at the front table.

"Well, well, well," Ichigo said as they stepped forward. "Two best friends forced to compete against each other. How much do you want this reward, Renji?" he asked.

"Badly," Renji admitted.

"How about you, Rukia?" Ichigo continued.

"It's not as much about the food for me as it is about winning," she said. "But I'm not gonna let him walk all over me."

"Fair enough," Ichigo said. "Okay, then, let's get to. I'm feeling…colorful today, so let's see what I can come up with. Definitely the liver, and some of the cauliflower. And let's add in some of the pickled eggs and strawberries. And of course, no one had to eat this, but I think I'll let ya try some: chicken feet." He smirked and put all the ingredients in the blender, adding some water to help make it a liquid. The blender rattled and shook as it blended up all the food items. When it was thoroughly goopy, Ichigo added some mayonnaise, soy sauce, chili pepper and honey for effect. He then poured the stuff into two glasses and set one each in front of Rukia and Renji. "Okay, remember, this is a timed trial," he said. "Ready…GO!"

Both tribe members picked up their glasses and began to gulp down the nasty mix. Rukia gagged almost immediately, but still hung on. Renji looked as if he might spew chunks everywhere, but kept chugging. Both tribes were cheering, both tribes wanting the good food tonight offered desperately. Rukia pulled the glass away from her mouth, glassy-eyed, her mouth full and her body swaying. It looked like she was going to hurl.

"There's a bucket down on the ground," Ichigo reminded her. "Use it if ya need it." She glared at him, an impressive feat considering her current task. Renji had managed to get everything in his mouth by now and was focusing on swallowing it. He gulped it down in tiny little bites. Rukia was making progress too, if only by tiny increments. But it wasn't enough. Renji finished his, and opened his mouth to show Ichigo. "Just like that, Uzukutora wins reward!" he said. Rukia slumped and spit what was in her mouth in the bucket.

After both tribes had seated themselves, Ichigo stepped in front of the bar. "Here's how tonight's gonna work," he started. "Uzukutora, you'll come to tribal council first and vote off one more member. After that, you'll move to the jury section of the tribal council area and eat. Then, Shireyu will come in and vote someone off. Another part of your reward is that you get to listen in on Shireyu's tribal council. I'll see you guys tonight. Head on back."

* * *

The mood at Shireyu beach was not a happy one. Rukia was sitting on the beach, staring down at the sand blankly. A few people were wandering off, too frustrated at having lost to even think about strategizing for at least another hour. But some people were still back in camp, fuming. One of those people was Grimmjow.

"I can't believe she couldn't get the fuckin' shit down!" he ranted to Lisa, Ikkaku, Kukaku and Gin. "That was the easiest shit of a challenge we've have so far and she blew it! It was just a fuckin' drink! You don't even have to breathe! Just swallow the shit and get on with it!"

"Grimmjow, it wasn't like she didn't try," Kukaku said, frowning at him. "Do you have any idea how disgusting that must've been? Don't give her hell for something you can't even comprehend."

"Can't comprehend?" Grimmjow asked viciously, sneering at her. "Do you think I'm a complete fuckwad? Comprehend my ass! I know what the hell she went through! We all did that! Get your head outta your fuckin' ass! Everythin' we ate today was nasty! That's no excuse!"

"Oh, bullshit," Kukaku said, growing angry now herself. "She had a hard time the first round, too. Don't go blaming the loss on her because she couldn't drink a glass of the biggest shit any of us have ever seen! The only one who's blaming her is you, so I suggest you fuck off!"

Grimmjow glared at the other woman and then stomped off. "Bitch," he muttered under his breath; he was loud enough, however, to make sure she heard him.

"Damn straight I'm a bitch!" Kukaku said to his retreating back. "And you're a fuckin' asshole!"

He gave her the finger over his shoulder and kept walking away. Kukaku rolled her eyes at the immature gesture and turned to those who stood at the camp with her. Ikkaku shook his head, Gin looked suspiciously complacent and Lisa looked furious.

"Who the hell does he think he is?" Kukaku demanded. She looked over at Ikkaku and Gin. "Look, I know you guys are friends with him and all, but he has got to go. He's horrible for this tribe!" She shook her head. "I am not living another day with him in this camp." She walked off towards the beach, heading for Rukia.

Ikkaku looked over at Gin. "Whaddya ya think?" he asked.

Gin blinked. "Well, I'm not going against _that,_" he said in response to Kukaku's statement.

* * *

"Fuck, I wanted food really badly," Grimmjow said to the camera. "So I was fuckin' pissed when we lost today! All she had to do was swallow that tiny mouthful of shit. And she couldn't. It's mind over fuckin' matter, I mean, come on, even a complete dipshit knows that. So obliviously a gulp of crap is bigger than Rukia's mind." He shook his head. "One thing's for sure, I ain't writin' anyone else's name down tonight. No fuckin' way in a fuckin' millions years of dipshit."

* * *

The scene shifted to Uzukutora. Rangiku and Shuhei were once again sitting together on the beach, though this time their facial expressions were much more serious. "Who do you think's goin' home tonight?" Shuhei asked quietly, fiddling with the customary choker around his neck.

Rangiku shook her head. "I don't know," she said. "Kiyone's still probably the weakest in physical challenges, but Nanao is somewhat of an outsider. She doesn't seem to want to get too close to any of us, and I think that's kind of strange considering that we're a tribe."

Shuhei nodded. "I was thinkin' Kiyone myself," he said. "I mean, she coulda be voted out first. We gave her eight more days. She should be happy with that, doncha think?" He looked over at her quizzically.

She snorted. "In theory," she said, looking over at him wryly. "I don't think anybody would be happy if you told them, 'Oh, well, we gave you eight more days than you would've gotten! Be happy!' I know I wouldn't be if that was your excuse to vote me out."

He chuckled. "Aw, I wouldn't vote you out, Rangiku," he said.

"You say that now," she said, smirking a bit.

"Hey, I'm not a bad guy here!" he said, smiling.

"Just wait 'til you get down to the nitty gritty and you have to vote me out," Rangiku said, smiling. "You won't have any problem with it then!"

"Yes, I will," he insisted.

"Promise?" she asked.

"Promise."

* * *

Back at Shireyu, Rukia and Ulquiorra were out walking around on the rocks that were down on the far end of their beach. Shinji was with them, though he was sprawled out on the rocks instead of walking around. That had decided to take a "walk" together, to go and see if there were any snails on the rocks. Yeah…right. No, they needed to talk about what was going down tonight. They had a big decision to make.

"I wonder what we should do," Rukia said finally, sighing. "There's so many different scenarios, and trying to run them all through in my head is making me dizzy." She shook her head, as if that would clear up her troubled thoughts.

"Well, after seeing how Grimmjow reacted to our loss today, I do not see any possible way to convince anyone else to keep him," Ulquiorra said slowly. "Unfortunately for him, he's pissed off most, if not all, of the tribe. It would be next to impossible to get people to not vote for him, and even more unlikely for him to work beside you, whom he clearly blames for the loss today."

Rukia winced at the bluntness of the words. "Yeah, I thought so," she muttered. "But then what are we going to do about Nemu and Lisa?"

"Just add someone else in," Shinji commented from his position. He had his eyes closed and his mouth open; he looked kinda like he had died of thirst out on the rocks. "We got people to choose from."

"But who would fit in best with our plans?" Rukia asked.

"It would have to be Gin," Ulquiorra offered. Both Rukia and Shinji turned to face him, Shinji just barely cracking his eyes and craning his neck up. "Ikkaku does not seem like the type of person to make an alliance unless he is sure of your trust, and we do not have his trust at this stage of the game. And Kukaku strikes me as too unpredictable. There is no way to know that she would not tell Lisa or Nemu."

"But how would we convince Gin to work with us?" Shinji asked.

Suddenly having a flash of inspiration, Rukia smiled. "You," she said, staring at Shinji.

"I don't like the look on your face," Shinji said nervously, sitting up.

"No, don't you see?" Rukia asked impatiently, taking a half-step closer to him. "Of all the three of us, you're the most like Gin. You're the one who's talked to Gin the most, and the one he's most likely to trust. If you go to him and suggest that you make an alliance of two to draw him in, even though you're really still going to put the three of us first, it will be very appealing to him."

Shinji paused for a moment, considering. "Do you think it'll work?" he asked finally.

"I believe it will," Ulquiorra commented slowly. "Gin is shrewd enough to realize that this is a good option for him. And he strikes me as the type of person who would go with you even if he did not trust you completely."

"But you have to work on him," Rukia said. "It's obvious Grimmjow's going home tonight. But we need to make sure that Gin is on our side. And we need to make sure of that before our next tribal council."

* * *

The scene shifted to the tribal council area, as the Uzukutora tribe was walking in with their torches already lit. Ichigo watched them solemnly, waiting for them to take their seats before sitting down himself. "Well," he said after a moment of two of silence, "it's been a while since I've seen you guys here. Aizen, tell me how camp life's for ya now."

Aizen smiled faintly. "Well, ever since we won our fire, we've been doing a lot better," he said. "We have a good shelter, and a good fire going, and a decent supply of coconuts. The only thing I would really like to see happen is us maybe catching a bit more fish, but since we don't have any fishing gear, any way of getting something from the lake is limited." There were nods at that.

"Shuhei, do you resent Shireyu for winning the first two rewards?" Ichigo asked.

"Well, hell, yeah, I resent 'em," Shuhei said, snorting. Some of the others laughed at that. "But that's a part of the game. And I'm sure they hate us right now for winnin' today. And that's the way it is with any game, really. The losers never like the winners."

"Speaking of the challenge…Renji," Ichigo began. Renji smiled and laughed a bit. His tribemates smiled and gave him looks that could only be considered fond. "You had a helluva time with the first concoction you drank, and then you were selected to be the tiebreaker participant for your tribe. How did that feel, getting selected?"

Renji let out a huge breath that he'd been holding. "Jesus Christ, Ichigo, at first I was freakin' horrified," he admitted. The admission make Shuhei in particular burst out laughing. "I was like, 'Shit, did I do that bad the first time?' But then, I just got up and knew I had to do it." He shrugged. "There was no way I was lettin' Rukia beat me in an eatin' challenge."

"Does it feel good, knowing that you beat her?" Ichigo asked, knowing as well as anyone the relationship between the two of them.

"Hell yeah!" Renji said vivaciously.

Ichigo waited for the laughter to die down again before moving on to his next topic. "So, you guys've been together for about twelve days now. Any relationships forming that you can see?"

Yumichika chuckled. "Well, Ichigo, the Uzukutora beach has now become a little nest for our two resident lovebirds," he admitted, smiling. He pointed a finger at Shuhei, and then moved it to Rangiku. "These two have become pretty close."

"Hey, I'm not gonna lie!" Shuhei, speaking up. "Me 'n Rangiku have become close out here, but I don't want people to vote based on the fact that they think we might have an alliance to the end or somethin'. I'll be clear: there is no alliance between us."

"Not yet," Ichigo pointed out, smirking.

"Shuhei's a great guy, and I enjoy spending time with him," Rangiku admitted. "That's really all there is. We have no alliance, and I agree with him, I don't want people to look at us and think that we'll never vote for each other. Ultimately, this is a game."

"Soi Fon, what do you make of their relationship?" Ichigo asked.

The woman shrugged. "Hey, the way I see it, I think they're free to hang out as much as they want," she said. "But they have to realize that some people are going to look at them and see how much time they're spending together, and see how close they're getting, and start to think that there might be some sort of unspoken alliance between the two of them."

Ichigo nodded. "Well, with that, it's time to vote," he said, standing up. "Kiyone, you're up first." The tribe one-by-one went up and cast their votes. When Nanao was finished, Ichigo went to go get the votes; he set the container on his podium of sorts. "As always, once the votes are read, the decision is final, and the person voted out will have to leave the tribal council area immediately." He took the lid off the container. "I'll read the votes. First vote: Kiyone."

He read the remainder of the votes. "Nanao. Kiyone. Kiyone. Kiyone." He pulled out another vote. "The third person voted out of Survivor: Soul Reaper Style – Kiyone. Five votes is enough. It's time to bring me your torch." Kiyone stood up and brought her torch over. "Kiyone, the tribe has spoken," Ichigo said solemnly, extinguishing her flame. "It's time for you to go." Kiyone smiled and then turned and waved to her tribe before walking down the exit.

Ichigo turned to the Uzukutora tribe. "Well, you've now voted out your second member, and lost three people," he said. "And you've still got a long ways to go. Go ahead and grab your torches and move over to the jury side. We'll wait until the Shireyu tribe comes in before getting you your food."

There was an eager sort of shuffling as the members of Uzukutora moved over to the stone bleachers where the jury would later sit and situated themselves. In a few moments, the Shireyu tribe came in, looking grim and forlorn. They took their seats. Ichigo turned around and called out, "Okay, guys, let's bring out the food!"

Several people on the tech crew came out then, carrying trays and platters of steaming food. All of the members of Uzukutora burst out in groans and noises of glee. Some looked as if they couldn't sit still because they just wanted to pounce on the food and suck it down whole. (**A/N: A rather disgusting thought, lol**)

"Uzukutora, you guys can go ahead and get your food," Ichigo said, sitting down on his normal stool. "We'll go ahead and wait for you guys to get situated before we begin." He smirked, noticing the lustful looks on the faces of all the Shireyu members.

As soon as he'd given the go-ahead, it was like a feeding frenzy. The Uzukutora tribe swarmed the food, some not even bothering with plates and just cramming anything they could get into their mouths. The Shireyu tribe watched on, some licking their lips unconsciously. After a few minutes, the orange tribe was seated with their food and every platter and serving dish had been completely emptied.

Ichigo grinned and then turned to the members of Shireyu. "Lemme remind you that the Uzukutora tribe is here merely to observe you guys," he said. "They aren't gonna make any comments or say anything. This is your tribal council." He surveyed the hungry faces. "Kukaku, are you wishing that you could be on that side of the tribal council area right now?"

"Hell yeah, Ichigo!" she said. "Everybody wants to win, especially when there's food and beer involved. It absolutely sucked losing today, because we knew that not only did we lose a reward, but we were gonna have to go to tribal council and vote someone off tonight."

Ichigo turned to Rukia. "Rukia, was your tribe mad at you today for not pulling out a win?"

Rukia sighed. "You know, Ichigo, I really have no idea," she admitted. "I know that some people were really upset." Grimmjow rolled his eyes. "And I know that some people don't blame me at all. But even if people don't blame you, you blame yourself when you lose, when you let your team down. So I feel bad, even if not everyone blames me."

"Grimmjow, I couldn't help but notice the eye roll there," Ichigo said. "How do you feel about what Rukia just said?"

"Are you fuckin' kiddin' me?" Grimmjow demanded. "I'm pissed as hell right now. I don't even wanna look over there and see which of the fucktards got voted off. I don't give a shit. I hate losin', and it sucks ass because it ain't my fault and there ain't nothin' I can do about it."

"Is is fair to blame a loss on just one person, especially when their round was arguably much harder than yours?" Ichigo asked, cocking an eyebrow.

Grimmjow shook his head. "I don't care what ya say," he said. "Nothin' about this game is fair. If it's your time to make magic happen, and ya fail, ya fail. I don't give any credit to that 'oh, well, the circumstances were different' bullshit. In my book, if ya don't pull a win, you're a loser."

"And that's exactly why everyone on this tribe can't stand you!" Kukaku pointed out, rolling her eyes. The Uzukutora tribe nearly had a universal coronary, they were so wrapped up in their escalating argument. Eyes were wide as they chewed their fries.

"What was that?" Grimmjow asked cheekily.

Kukaku twisted in her seat to face the blue-haired man. "No one here likes you because you won't give anyone a fuckin' chance!" she clarified. "We all make mistakes, and we all mess up at times in our lives. It's not right to blame someone for a loss just because they screwed up. What happens when you screw up?"

"Then I'll take responsibility for what I did," Grimmjow said. "I'll ask you guys to send me packin'."

"So that's it?" Kukaku demanded. "If you don't win everything, you don't even wanna be here?"

"No, but I mess up and I'm the reason we lost, then I would ask you to vote me out," Grimmjow said. "Everyone should do that. It's for the good of the team."

"Bull-fuckin'-shit!" Kukaku exclaimed. The members of Uzukutora were dancing in their seats by now. Who knew they'd get dinner _and _a show?? "You can't base your decisions on who to _vote out of this game _on challenges alone! That's not the way this game works, dumbass!"

"Don't call me a dumbass, ya bitch!" Grimmjow said, clenching his jaw. "This game isn't all about how you play the game! And you don't even play at all! You have no alliance and you're just coastin' along until you get voted out because everyone gets fed up with ya!"

Kukaku laughed. "Oh, can it, assfuck," she said (**A/N: hehe, assfuck. That's like my favorite insult ever because it's insulting, and yet makes no sense at all**). "No one here needs lessons on how to play this game from_ you!_"

Grimmjow evidently didn't even think that that merited a response. He just gave Ichigo a veryfake smile. Ichigo sighed and stood up. "Well, then, let's get to the vote. Before that, Uzukutora, it's time for you guys to leave. Grab your stuff and go ahead and head on back to camp." He waited until all the members of the orange tribe had left before continuing. "Now then, Gin, you're up first."

The votes were cast and Ichigo went to retrieve them. "As always, once the votes are read, the decision is final, and the person voted out will have to leave the tribal council area immediately. I'll read the votes." He opened the container. "First vote: Grimmjow. Next vote: Kukaku. Grimmjow. Grimmjow. Grimmjow. The fourth person voted out of Survivor: Soul Reaper Style – Grimmjow. Five votes is enough, it's time to bring me your torch."

Grimmjow stood up and sauntered over, putting his torch down. Ichigo snuffed it out. "Grimmjow, the tribe the spoken, it's time for you to go," he said.

The blue-haired man turned around and gave a mocking salute. "Nice one, bitch," he directed towards Kukaku. The busty woman merely gave him the finger, returning his gesture from earlier as the man walked out.

"Well, that was a very tense tribal council," Ichigo remarked. "But you've cut out one of your strongest members, as well as the tribe member who was obviously causing you a lot of conflict. We'll see how it plays out. Grab your torches, head on back to camp."

And so ended a _very_ tumultuous episode four.

* * *

Kiyone's final words: "I guess I should've expected this. I was considered the weakest one on my tribe, even though I always tried my hardest at everything we did. I don't hold any grudges for it. I had a great time, and I'm thrilled with what I got out of this experience. It…it really makes you appreciate what you _do _have, this game. And that's the real beauty of it, I think. But hey, I'm starting to sound like Yumichika." She giggled. "Uzukutora, I wish you guys the best of luck!"

Grimmjow's final words: He shrugged. "Well, whaddya do with a bitch named Kukaku Shiba? I couldn't do anythin' to get myself outta this one. Would things have been different were I on a different team? Fuck yes, I do believe so. And that's what kills me. Hey, Kukaku, do us all a favor and go crawl in a corner somewhere and die." He smiled. "To the rest of my tribe, kick ass."

* * *

I'm sorry if there are any grammar or spelling mistakes. I didn't have as much time to edit this as I normally did. But I hope everyone liked it. I tried to incorporate drama in. And I think I did an okay job, lol. Anyways, hopefully I can get episode five out more quickly than this one.

Review? Lol, you know you want to!! And don't forget to vote for your favorite Survivor for the popularity contest!! So far...Ulquiorra's in the lead. Thanks again for reading!!

* * *


	11. Reception

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Bleach or Survivor. I just stuck the two together.

**Rating: **T

**A/N: **Okay, so a couple of people were wondering what the Espada's and Vizard's reactions would be the events of Survivor: Soul Reaper Style, so I decided to give a brief break between episodes for exactly that!! I wanna thank those people for their input; I appreciate it. And I like requests, if anyone else wants to see anything similar!! I plan on doing a break chapter between every four episodes from now til the end, so that I can upload here more frequently, because the episodes take a while to write, lol. Anyways, thanks again for the reviews!!

* * *

**Soul Reaper Survivor  
****Reception – Are These Guys Idiots or What??**

While watching the edition of Survivor: SRS, the Vizards were all collectively staying in a large house near the outskirts of the Seireitei. While Shinji, Lisa and Hiyori were staying quiet so that no one would know how they'd finished, it was well known now that Hiyori had already gotten the boot. And no one was letting her forget it.

"So, Hiyori, tell us again why you were voted out first?" Kensei asked, the normally stoic man cracking a slight grin.

Hiyori kicked him hard in the back of the head. "Shut up, dickhead!" she yelled. "My tribe was stupid, that's why I got kicked out! They're still doin' horrible without me there to help them win! The assholes are just gettin' themselves deeper into shit!"

"So I guess that fact that they won this last week is because of a fluke?" Shinji suggested.

"I shut SHUT UP!" Hiyori yelled, taking off one of her shoes and beginning to beat the unspoken leader of their little clan with it. "It's not like you're doin' anythin' special! I don't know how you're still there!"

"Because I didn't shoot my mouth off and make everyone hate me?" Shinji asked.

The rest of the Vizards watched with a bit of amusement as the two fought. It was a normal occurrence for them, so they merely attempted to tune it out, a feat which they had gotten very good at over the years.

"But who do you suspect is going to win?" Kensei asked those who were still sitting around him.

"I want Rukia to win!" Mashiro exclaimed. "Or Rangiku! Or Kukaku!"

"So basically you just want a girl to win?" Rose asked, his eyes not moving from where they were, fastened on the weekly copy of Shonen Jump that Love _still _hadn't given him.

"Well, no, I don't really like Nemu and Lisa that much," Mashiro said, seeming to forget that Lisa was only a few feet away from her. "They don't really do that much, and they're annoying because they want to get rid of Rukia!"

Lisa looked up at Mashiro, but the green-haired woman didn't seem to realize that she'd said something mildly offensive. So the bespactled Lisa merely rolled her eyes and returned to her own manga, something far more interesting than an annoying pest in a wanna-be superhero outfit. What was up with those goggles anyway? It wasn't like she was going diving or something.

"I feel that I am obligated to root for Shinji," Hacchi put in quietly.

"Shinji?" Mashiro asked, frowning. "But he acts like one of the biggest idiots out there!"

"Does he ever not?" Kensei asked, rolling his eyes.

"I can still hear ya, ya know!" Shinji called over from where he was currently fending off Hiyori.

"I know," Kensei muttered. "That was the point."

* * *

Lately, Ichigo had taken to barricading himself up in the house that Soul Society was renting he, Chad and Uryu. It was weird to have people staring at him, but he was kind of used to that because it happened in the world of the living a lot. Hey, not everyone had naturally bright orange hair. But here, it was because he was the host of Survivor: SRS. People here seemed to think he was famous or something. Well, he supposed that a lot of people might've known who he was because of the whole breaking-into-the-Soul-Society-to-rescue-Rukia-and-kicking-major-ass-in-the-process thing, but not to where he'd have his own personal "Ichigo Kurosaki Fan Club". He shuddered. Who would've known that fan girls could be _that _obsessed? Not to mention how much spare time the low-ranking female Soul Reapers who formed the main part of the club had to have.

Renji, who had been snoozing on the couch, suddenly jerked and sat up. "Whaz goin' on?" he asked, slurring his words. He shook his head and rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand, squinting. "Where am I?"

Ichigo rolled his eyes. "On a couch," he answered, looking down at the paper he'd been reading. Uryu had gotten bored, so he had decided to make weekly print-outs of character popularity and viewer percentages. Ichigo couldn't figure out why anyone would do research when they were bored, but hey, this was Uryu they were talking about.

"I know that, smartass," Renji said, swinging his legs off the couch and leaning forward and bit, placing his elbows on his knees. "What am I doin' here?"

"You passed out there 'bout an hour ago," Ichigo said, not even looking up from his reading this time. "You were waitin' for Rukia to come over because she'd wanted to talk to ya."

"Oh, right," Renji said. He suddenly noticed the papers Ichigo held in his hands. "Whatcha readin'?"

"Results of a popularity poll from the show," he said.

"Really?" Renji asked, interested now. "Where do I rank?"

"Somewhere near the middle," Ichigo answered.

"What?!" Renji asked, sounding outraged. "That can't be right! I should be near the top!"

"Actually, that's a tie between Ulquiorra and Gin," Ichigo said, moving his eyes to the top of the list. Suddenly, Renji made a dive for the papers in his hand. "What the hell?" he demanded of the lieutenant, moving the papers out of the way at the last second.

"Lemme see the papers!" Renji demanded, standing up and trying to pry the sheets away from Ichigo.

"No!" Ichigo said, standing up and backing away. "I already told you where you ranked. Geez, back off!"

"Just gimme the damn papers!" Renji barked, tackling Ichigo to the ground and attempting to steal the papers away from him. Ichigo, stunned that Renji had actually _tackled him to the floor _immediately started trying to get out from under the larger man's frame, kicking and punching when he could.

Suddenly, the door swung open and they both stopped moving, looking up to see who it was. Rukia was standing in the light that spilled in from the open door, her arms crossed over her chest and one of her eyebrows raised. "Can't you find a better place to do that?" she asked, smirking.

"Wha – Rukia!" Renji said, scowling at her. "I – him – we – we're not doin' anythin'!"

"Then why are you on top of him, on the floor?" Rukia asked, her eyes twinkling. She closed the door behind her.

Renji flushed and got up. "He wouldn't lemme see the popularity rankings," he muttered.

"Popularity rankings?" Rukia asked, interested. "Can I see?"

"Here," Ichigo said wearily, putting the papers up in the air. With Rukia, he decided it would be better to just give them to her straight out. Though he hadn't guessed Renji would've taken it _that _far. "And would you tell Renji that he really is ranked right in the middle? He doesn't believe me."

Rukia scanned the sheets. "He's right, Renji," she said. "You are in the middle."

"Damn," Renji said, crossing his arms over his chest and looking away sullenly.

"But I'm in the top five!" Rukia said gleefully. "Oh, that's so exciting!"

"How did you make it in the top five and I didn't?" Renji asked, dumbfounded.

"Because you're an idiot."

* * *

Syazel shook his head again, looking over the headlines of the Seireitei newspaper. Honestly, did Grimmjow have to be such a pompous asshole? The man had made the front page, with his blaringly obnoxious talk about game strategy the night before. Did the man have no tact? Couldn't he have seen that this was a chance for the Espada to rightfully gain their place of acceptance in Soul Society? No, instead, he had to be a very blunt dumbass, as usual. Now it was all up to Ulquiorra…

"Oh, whut'h that?" an annoyingly curious voice asked. Syazel groaned; he did _not _need this right now. "Why ith Gwimmy on that paper?" Nel jumped up onto the pink-haired man's lap, settling down to stare at the pictures with wide eyes. "Did he do thumthing bad?"

"No, Nel, Grimmjow was just being an idiot," Syazel explained to her, pushing his glasses up. Unfortunately, in his fight with the Quincy boy, he'd managed to not only lose his dignity to that stupid man who claimed to be a scientist – but was really a just a sick necrophiliac – but he'd picked up the boy's stupid habit as well. That had been a very low day for him.

"What'd he do?" Nel asked eagerly.

"He made himself look like a complete fool in front of everybody," Syazel continued.

Nel giggled. "He really ith thilly, ithn't he, Thathel?" she asked.

He rolled his eyes at the mispronunciation of his name. Honestly, not all children under three had lisps. Why had he gotten stuck with one that did? The _only _one in all of the Seireitei that did? Sometimes, he thought he must have the worst luck ever. But then Ulquiorra would lecture him about how luck didn't really exist. And he hated it when the other man lectured him.

"Nel?" a voice asked from the outside hallway. "Are you here?" Nel looked up in time to see Captain Unohana walk into the room, a smile on her placid face. "Ah, there you are, Nel. When you ran off, I was worried!"

"I'm alwite, Mith Unohana!" Nel assured her. "I'm with Thathel!"

"Thigh-a-thel?" Unohana asked, frowning slightly. "You mean…Syazel?"

"Yes, she means me," Syazel said miserably. "And I'll take care of her now, but could you please just leave me alone to be in misery?" He sighed dramatically. "You don't know what it's like to have your name changed to sound like the most unappealing part of the leg."

Unohana blinked, but nodded, apparently seeing that it wasn't worth arguing with Syazel over. "Alright then, Syazel," she said. "I'll see you later, Nel." She smiled once more and then left the room. But she had to wonder about the scientist's mental health…was he suffering from a breakdown? Perhaps she should bring him in for a check-up…

* * *

Lol, poor Syazel...and I couldn't resist the Renji/Ichigo thing. Haha, remind anyone else of that episode in the Bount arc? "Take it off, Renji!" Lol, that was the funniest part ever!! Anyways, this is just a little break from the episodes, and the next one should be out soon. Review if you want!!

Speaking of reviews...one of my friends read this and said that I should be mean and set a limited number of reviews before I update. Lol, I dunno...should I? Whaddya you guys think? Honestly, I wasn't even expecting this many reviews, so I'm happen to get any. But like I said before, lots of reviews are an added incentive for me to write quicker!! Take that how ya want, lol!!


	12. Episode 5

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Bleach or Survivor. I just stuck them together.

**Rating: **T

**A/N: **Well, I worked almost all afternoon and managed to get another episode done!! Episode six should be out by Monday or Tuesday. Lol, this one was fun to write. It's starting to get good now. Lol, if you're looking for a song to listen to while reading this, I would suggest "Wolves" by Machine Head. Not only is it like my favorite song ever, but it fits the whole betray/blindside part of Survivor. Anyways, thanks again for all the reviews!!

* * *

**Soul Reaper Survivor  
****Episode Five – Build It or Bust**

As soon as the beginning credits were through, the scene immediately went to the Shireyu beach, where the tribe members were shown just getting back from tribal council. Rukia sat down near the fire, looking at the flames blankly. Kukaku sighed and crossed her arms, standing near the entrance to the shelter. "Well, that was a wild night," she said.

"Seriously," Ikkaku said, nodding. Grimmjow had gone home with eight unanimous votes to send him packing. Obviously, his tribe had showed him that he wasn't considered necessary or even wanted anymore. That had to sting a bit.

"Well, I'm going to bed," Lisa said. "There's been a lot of drama tonight, and I honestly just want to forget about it." There were nods at that. Nemu stood up with her and they walked to the shelter, where half the tribe was already asleep, or at least, preparing to. That left Rukia, Ulquiorra, Shinji and Gin at the fire. Kukaku was standing down by the beach.

"I think I'll join them," Rukia said, standing up and walking back towards the shelter. "Good night, you guys."

"Nite," Shinji murmured; now all he needed was for Kukaku to fall asleep and Ulquiorra to leave. Because until that happened, he couldn't make his move. The three men made small talk for a while, until Kukaku passed them and went off to bed. Ulquiorra waited for about ten more minutes before leaving Shinji and Gin alone, so that it wouldn't look suspicious. As soon as the pale man left, he began to prepare himself for what he should say; after all, a lot was riding on this upcoming conversation.

"I already know what you're going to say," Gin said conspiratorially, leaning forward and smirking. "You're proposing that I go with you and your alliance to the end."

Shinji blinked. How had Gin found out? It hadn't been that obvious, had it? He kept his face passive, just in case. "And whaddya think?" he asked quietly.

Gin shrugged. "It was obvious when you, Ulquiorra and Rukia went out to the rocks together yesterday," he admitted. "And I suspect that Lisa and Nemu are your fourth and fifth place finishers. Oops, my bad, _were, _your fourth and fifth place finishers. I'm guessing that you want me as a fourth to ensure that you can vote at least one of them off before the merge. Am I right?" Even though he'd asked a question, his tone wasn't inquisitive. It was as if he already knew the answer.

"Pretty much," Shinji admitted. "It doesn't make sense for ya ta not stick with us, because if ya don't, Lisa 'n Nemu'll start workin' ta getcha gone."

"I know that already," Gin said. "But where does that leave Ikkaku?"

"We have eight people right now," Shinji said. "The next time we lose an immunity challenge, we hafta vote off either Lisa or Nemu. That takes us down ta seven. Ikkaku and Kukaku are expendable. Kukaku's a loner, and Ikkaku don't trust any of us. I would suggest takin' out Lisa first because she's more likely ta do some damage if we don't take her out first. I think Nemu would just try ta regroup and make a new alliance."

Gin nodded. "I agree with you on that," he admitted. "But Ikkaku would have to go after Lisa. He's just too strong to compete against in the physical challenges once they get to be individual. You see how he competes; he's like a beast."

"So the order would hafta be Lisa, Ikkaku, 'n then Nemu 'n Kukaku," Shinji said, summing up what they'd just discussed. Gin nodded. "I think it's a good plan."

"I do as well," the silver-haired man said, his smirk deepening. He held his hand out for Shinji to shake, and they shook on it. "To the final four, then?"

"Ta the final four."

* * *

"Do I trust Shinji?" Gin asked the camera the next morning in a private interview. "Of course I don't trust Shinji. Am I in an alliance with Shinji…yes, as long as it's beneficial for me. Rukia, Ulquiorra and Shinji are fools if they don't think that I'll flip on them at some point. But knowing Ulquiorra, they know that I'm the only person they could logically bring in to help them eliminate members of a previous alliance." He chuckled. "Funny how things work, isn't it?"

* * *

Over at Uzukutora, Rangiku was walking down the beach, not really appearing to be doing anything in particular. She sat down on a rock that hung out over the water and sat down, watching the waves beneath her. "Well," she said. "It's day thirteen. Only twenty-seven more days to go." She groaned and leaned her head down on her knees, drawn tight against her chest. "I need some coffee."

Just then, Nanao came up and joined her. "Rangiku?" she asked hesitantly, sitting down beside the blonde woman. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Rangiku said, lifting her head enough to give the other woman a tired smile. "It's just getting to me, I think, being out here for so long. There's nothing to do here, and it's starting to wear me down a little."

"It's wearing down on all of us," Nanao admitted, smiling a bit herself. "Just don't let anyone else see that you're tired. That's my strategy. Because if you give them even the slightest reason to vote you off, they'll do it."

"I know," Rangiku said glumly. "I'm kind of worried. I don't really have any alliances at this point, and while I know Shuhei is watching out for me, he's gotta look out for himself before me." She shook her head. "What about you?"

"Well, you know better than I do that I don't have any alliances," Nanao informed her. "Most people seem to think that I'm just the loner who proves useful when an extra vote is needed." She smiled grimly. "I'm starting to worry about it, to be perfectly honest with you. I think that if Kiyone hadn't been voted out last night, it would've been me."

"You might be right," Rangiku admitted. "And I don't want you to go."

"Really?" Nanao asked, surprised.

"Well, sure," the busty woman said, giggling. "If you go, I'm next!" They both laughed.

"Then should we do something about that to make sure that neither of us goes next?" Nanao suggested.

"What are you planning?" Rangiku asked, smiling. This was exactly what she needed.

"You and I are going to have to work together on this," Nanao said quietly. "And we're going to have to work hard, because I have a feeling that we're already on the outskirts of the tribe."

"Yeah," Rangiku admitted. "After talking with Shuhei, I have a feeling that he, Renji and Yumichika have something going at the very least. I don't know where Soi Fon fits into all of that, but her and Yumichika are pretty close."

"So if they four are together," Nanao said thoughtfully, "that leaves you, me and Aizen. Then it's four to three and they can pick us off one-by-one. We need to move carefully here, because we desperately need that fourth person. If we can sway one of them, we've got it made until the merge, at least."

"But who would we try to pull over?" Rangiku asked, though she already had a feeling where this was leading.

"Well," Nanao said hesitantly, "the easiest would probably be Shuhei, but I understand if you don't feel comfortable doing that. There are other ways to break that alliance down."

Rangiku sighed. "It's not that I don't feel comfortable getting Shuhei to come over with us," she admitted. "It's that I have a feeling Renji, Yumichika and Soi Fon would be very mad. And I think that Shuhei might think that I'm just using him."

Nanao sighed. "Well, we've just have to wait and see," she said. "It all depends on what happens next."

* * *

Ikkaku was alone when he went to check the mailbox later on that day. He stopped when he saw two large crates on the ground beneath the leather bag. Frowning, he stepped up and reached into the bag, taking out the note. After reading it, his eyes lit up and he jogged back to camp. He was gonna need some help on this one. "Yo, guys!" he called. "We got mail, and it's a big one!"

"What's going on?" Kukaku asked from the fire, propping her chin on her hand. "Read it!"

"'Tear it down, build it up, make yourself a home. Keep your eyes on the goal; don't let your vision roam. You have until tomorrow to get your castle done. If we see it, but don't come back, the other tribe has won. Use all the given tools, and build it well. You'll get the first clue to a reward that's swell.'" He looked up. "There're two big crates back at the mailbox, but I couldn't carry 'em by myself. One had tools in it, but the other's locked shut."

"So…we're building a better shelter?" Rukia guessed. "With the tools they've given us. And they're come to our camp tomorrow and look at it. So it's a contest to see who can build a better shelter in one day."

"Sounds 'bout right," Shinji said, scratching his head.

"But we still have one more person than Uzukutora," Nemu pointed out. "Are we supposed to sit someone out of the challenge?"

"I guess we should," Lisa said thoughtfully. "If we don't, we might be disqualified."

"Well, how about we go get these crates first, and then we decide what we're doing?" Kukaku suggested, standing up. Everyone nodded and the whole tribe set off into the woods, going to retrieve the boxes. The larger of the two, Ikkaku explained on the way, was the one containing tools. The smaller one was a locked chest. Ikkaku and Gin grabbed the smaller crate, while Kukaku, Ulquiorra and Shinji took the large one. When they got back to their camp, they set both crates near the fire.

"Hey," Rukia said, moving towards the smaller box. "There's a note on this one." She picked up a small folded piece of paper and opened it. "It says: Do not get wet." She looked up. "What do you think's inside it?"

"Well, if it's something that we don't want to get wet, the logical thing for the box to contain would be food of some kind," Nemu suggested.

"Let's not worry about that right now," Kukaku said loudly. "What we need to do is decide what we're gonna do about this challenge! Anyone got any bright ideas?"

"I think we should create a walled structure of some sort," Nemu said. "We should raise it off the ground because of the rain, as well as slope the roof. With the wood in this box, we could fill in at least two of the walls."

"So kinda like a shack?" Shinji asked.

"I guess one might call it that," Nemu said, shrugging delicately. "It wouldn't be too terribly different from the shelter we've already built."

"Okay, then," Kukaku said. "Anyone else wanna add anything to that?"

"I think we should have some of our more creative members do some other things around camp, perhaps to liven it up a bit," Ulquiorra suggested. "Perhaps if we made the entire area look nice, whoever is judging these houses will be more pleased."

"Duly noted," Kukaku said, nodding. She seemed to have taken on the leadership role for this challenge, though her taste in houses wasn't exactly aesthetically pleasing. "So are we sitting someone out?" She looked around, as if she expected someone to jump up and say they'd be glad to sit out.

"I suppose I could sit out," Rukia said finally. "I know I'm not as strong as some people are."

"That'll work," Ikkaku said, shrugging. "So, let's get started!"

* * *

Yumichika read the instructions for the challenge to his tribemates. The crates that had been delivered to their mailbox – which Renji and Shuhei had already brought back to camp – were sitting awkwardly near the fire. They'd already looked inside the one box to reveal the tools. Renji was eyeing the locked crate suspiciously, as if he expected something to jump out of it and yell "Surprise!"

"So, we're building a better shelter," Nanao said summarily. "How do we want to do this?"

"Well, obviously, that thing's comin' down," Shuhei said, pointing to their shelter. Though it had looked nice in the beginning, it was cramped, and the roof was beginning to sag as the palm fronds died and turned brown.

"I don't think there was any question about that," Yumichika said, smirking. "Does anyone have any ideas about what we should do?"

"We should build a treehouse!" Renji said, excited.

Nanao rolled her eyes. "Don't be stupid, Renji, we can't build a treehouse," she said. "None of the trees here are big enough to support a house, plus all eight of us. They'd bend and snap, and we'd all get a very rude awakening."

"It was just a suggestion," Renji muttered.

"What if we used part of that rock wall as the back wall for a shelter?" Rangiku suggested, pointing to the rock wall about five hundred feet back from their shelter. "We could just build a frame around it. Not to mention you could lean the bamboo poles against it to make a roof."

"That's not a half-bad idea," Shuhei said, standing up. "Let's go check it out." The tribe moved over to the rock wall, surveying the area for a relatively flat part. After finding a suitable location, they began to sketch out plans and decide what exactly they were going to do. They all settled on a plan that would work relatively well with the rock. Luckily, it was granite instead of shale, so it wouldn't fall down if they tried to lodge the bamboo against it.

"Okay, then, we gonna knock down our shelter now?" Shuhei asked, grinning.

"Yeah!" Renji said, sounding excited. The two of them ran back to their camp while the others watched in amusement. The two men gleefully began tearing down bamboo logs, throwing fronds everywhere and just taking delight in the overall demolition progress. Once they were finished, the real work began.

Nanao and Rangiku began to pick up the dead and dying palm fronds, taking them over to the fire and throwing them on top of the logs. Aizen, Shuhei and Renji began picking up the bamboo logs and moving them to the site of the new camp while Yumichika and Soi Fon began moving all of their equipment and things – like the machete, pot for boiling water, flint – over as well.

Shuhei took over the command of the building process. They used the shovel to dig holes for the columns of the frame, which were merely several pieces of bamboo tied together with twine and rope. Once the columns were in place, they began to attach more piece of bamboo around the bottom with nails, creating a box-like frame.

While the three strongest men were doing that, Yumichika and girls set to improving the new camp's looks. They used some of the boards to make a bench, and then a couple more to create a table of sorts. Nanao and Rangiku carefully moved the fire up to a part of the cave about ten feet away from their new shelter, where an overhang would protect it from the rain. Things were going well at Uzukutora beach.

* * *

Meanwhile, over at Shireyu, the plan wasn't quite being implemented the way it had been suggested. It really did resemble a shack, only somehow Rukia doubted that even the people in Rukongai would want to live in it. She was keeping busy making water runs and boiling water so that the rest of her tribe wouldn't get dehydrated. It was weird, watching them do everything, and yet not being able to help out.

Suddenly, Ikkaku cursed and dropped the hammer he was holding, cradling his hand against his chest. "What happened?" Kukaku demanding, coming over to look at him. Ikkaku made his way over to the fire, grabbing his canteen from where it was laying on the ground.

Rukia winced at the injury and handed him a piece of a blanket that had someone gotten detached from its mother. He wrapped the blanket around his thumb appreciatively after he rinsed it off with some of his canteen water. "What happened?" Kukaku asked again, coming to stand behind him.

"Ah, I hit the nail with the hammer wrong," he said angrily. "It skewed at the last second and went into my thumb by accident." He lifted up the cloth and showed her. The busty woman hissed and shook her head.

"You gonna be okay?" she asked.

"Yeah, just gimme a few minutes to let the bleedin' stop," Ikkaku said, reapplying the pressure to the injured area.

* * *

"Hittin' myself like that with the hammer was probably the stupidest thing I've done in a while," Ikkaku admitted to the camera with a wry grin. "Made me felt like an idiot. But I've had worse injuries, so this one ain't too bad. Nope. This ain't somethin' I can't deal with." He laughed. "Just makes me feel like a dumbass!"

* * *

The following morning, the members of Shireyu were still adding the finishing touches to their shack. It still wasn't pretty, but it served its purpose rather well. It was a good deal more comfortable than the old one, in Rukia's opinion. But it looked a helluva lot more run-down. She was currently out in the water, washing off the "dishes" that they had made of sticks and empty coconut husks. Lisa was beside her, scrubbing the big water pot with sand to get some of the scummy build-up off.

Suddenly, Rukia looked up, frowning. "Do you hear that?" she asked.

"Yeah," Lisa said uncertainly. "It sounds a bit like…a boat." She stood up and put her hand over her brows, squinting. "It _is _a boat. And it's coming this way." She reached down and picked up the pot. "Come on, let's go put these away before it gets here."

Rukia nodded and gathered up the dishes. They went back to camp and put everything in its place, telling everyone about the boat in the process. When they all walked back down to the beach to see what was going on, they were just in time to see Ichigo jump out into the water and start wading to shore along with a very unique judging panel. How he'd managed to get the three of them out there, Rukia would never know.

"What's up, Shireyu?" Ichigo asked, grinning. "You surprised to see me?"

"What's goin' on, Ichigo?" Ikkaku asked, smirking a bit. "You here to see the Shack?" That seemed to be the name they'd decided upon. Wasn't too original.

Once Ichigo and the judges had made it to the shore, he put his hands on his hips. "You're gettin' ahead of yourself, Ikkaku," he said. "Lemme explain things first. You were given instructions to build the best shelter you could with the tools given to you. Obviously, it's a contest between you and Uzukutora. Whoever wins this challenge will receive the clue to the first key to the lockbox's location. Wanna know what's inside the box?"

"Hell yeah!" Kukaku exclaimed, grinning.

"Rice," Ichigo said. There were smiles, grins and groans of desire alike as he revealed that. "There are several bags of rice in there, as well as a few other food items that'll make ya feel a little more comfortable out here. For the next two reward challenges as well, you'll be fighting for one clue to the keys, which are all hidden on various points along the beach. Today, your reward is the first clue as well a couple of kerosene lanterns with some fuel.

"Your shelter is gonna be judged on several things: creativity, sturdiness, function and its compatibility with this environment. Our judges are, as you can see, Byakuya," the Captain sighed lightly at Ichigo's exclusion of his honorific, "Urahara, and Mayuri. So let's see it then. Where's your shelter?"

Kukaku led the way up to their shelter. She explained the various facts and thought process that had developed as they were building it. Byakuya seemed to be in charge of aesthetics. He was careful where he walked, so that he didn't step into something distasteful. His carefully schooled features weren't hiding his distaste at being here, however. He seemed determined to not look at Rukia though, as if looking at her would seem as if he were trying to help her. Rukia didn't know why he worried about that, though; he never played favorites. Hadn't her almost-excecution shown everybody that?

Mayuri and Urahara were the only ones actually inspecting the shelter. They would crawl inside and knock on things, shaking frames and poking at fronds to see what came undone and what stayed put. Byakuya roamed around the camp, looking at various items, as if he were a health inspector for a restaurant. He certainly had a calculating gleam in his eyes.

Once they were finished, the judges and Ichigo moved to the beach. The members of Shireyu followed. "Well, guys, we'll be back later if you won. If the other tribe won, we won't be back." He nodded to them in farewell and then moved on back to the boat.

"I don't think they liked it," Kukaku said grimly as the four got back on the boat.

"I know that look on my brother's face," Rukia said softly. "It's not a good look."

* * *

Over at the Uzukutora beach, Ichigo explained much the same thing. When he was finished, it was Shuhei who took over the job as host. He lead them down to their shelter, which was actually very impressive. It actually resembled a house, with two walls formed of bamboo logs on each side and an open wall in the front for access. Beams lay across the horizontal bamboo logs that connected each of the main four columns, providing extra support for the sloping roof of bamboo and palm fronds.

Once again, each particular judge looked at one specific thing, apparently judging the house from to top to bottom. While Shuhei was explain the mechanics of the actual shelter, Yumichika took it upon himself to show off all the accoutrements of the camp, from the bench to their makeshift table to their neatly stacked coconut husk bowls and stick spoons. When the tours were finished, the judges and Ichigo moved out onto the beach to confer.

"I prefer the campsite of this tribe," Byakuya stated calmly, in a clear precise voice. "It is obvious that the organization here is on a much higher level than that of the other camp, despite this one being the home of my lieutenant."

"I don't know what Nemu was thinking when she suggested that kind of shelter," Mayuri said, his eyes bulging with suppressed anger. "It is the worst looking thing I believe I have seen, including all of the slums of Rukongai."

"Geez, you don't have to be so mean," Urahara said, fanning himself. "But, boy, is it hot here."

"Can we please stay on the subject at hand?" Byakuya asked coldly. "My vote is for this camp."

"As is mine," Mayuri said.

"Me too," Urahara said, smiling. "So are we done now?"

"Yeah, just gimme a second so I can give the tribe their reward," he said, wading back out to the boat. One of the crewmen on it handed him down a couple of lanterns, a small container of a clear liquid, and a rolled up piece of paper. "You guys can ahead and get back on the boat," he said to the three judges. The three immediately flash-stepped to the dock of the boat, forsaking getting in the water. Ichigo blinked; why hadn't he thought of that? Now he was all wet.

Sighing, he shouted, "Hey, Uzuzutora!" The orange tribe immediately ran out to the beach, anxious looks on their faces. "Congratulations, you've won the challenge. It was a unanimous decision, and your camp was clearly the best. Here's your reward." He handed over the reward as the tribe yelled and shouted for joy, hugging each other. "Enjoy it!"

* * *

Soi Fon sighed in front of the camera, and then smiled. "It was really nice to win today," she admitted. "We haven't really won any rewards yet, so it was nice to really win something we could use around camp. I mean, we won the food yesterday, but you can't use that around camp. We spent all day yesterday busting our asses to make that shelter as good as it could be, and it paid off. This reward was nice because we're one step closer to getting rice. Oh my god, that rice sounds heavenly right now, even though rice is such a big part of our diets back in the Seireitei. I had no idea I was going to miss rice this much."

* * *

Meanwhile, it was now sundown at the Shireyu beach, and everyone was sitting around the fire, looking quite dejected. A few people were still standing down by the beach, ever hopeful, but no one seemed to be expecting a reward this time around.

"Give it up, Kukaku!" Gin called from around the campfire. "It's obvious we lost!"

"It's not sundown yet," Kukaku said stubbornly. "We might yet win."

"I wouldn't bet on it," Ikkaku muttered under his breath. "Not with a shack."

"Damn," Rukia said breathlessly. "I really wanted rice."

"I just want something other than coconuts," Lisa said dejectedly.

"Seriously," Ikkaku said, nodding. "Anythin' would be better than coconuts." He sighed. "Hell, I'd be willin' to try Orihime's cookin', I'm so hungry right now. And that's sayin' somethin'."

* * *

The next day, both tribes pulled up for the immunity challenge with their flags, Uzukutora looking happy and ready to compete, Shireyu looking dejected. Ichigo didn't miss the difference in moods. "Before we get to the challenge, I have to say," he began. "Shireyu, you guys look completely beaten. What's goin' on over at your camp?"

Kukaku shrugged. "It just hurts when you lose," she said. "Especially when you work hard on a shelter all day, only to find out that it wasn't good enough. But we're not in that bad of a spot. We'll just have to see what happens today." She grinned.

Ichigo nodded. "Okay, then, today's challenge is for immunity," he said. "So, I'll take back the immunity idol from you, Uzukutora. You guys've had it for a while now, eh?" He stepped forward and reclaimed the idol from Renji, who looked somewhat reluctant to let go of it. "Immunity is back up for grabs," he said, placing the idol on its podium. "Today's challenge is an obstacle course designed specifically to test your balance.

"One at a time, you will move from one end of the course until you either fall off or obtain one of your tribe's colored flags at the opposite end," Ichigo explained. "You'll race across the balance beams, over the floating pontoons and then finally across the rope bridge. If you fall off at any time, you must go back to the start and let another tribe member go. The first tribe to get ten flags wins. Make sense?" There were nods. "Okay, then, decide on your order and we'll get started."

He moved to a spot off to the side of the course, taking a viewing spot that gave him a perfect view. He looked over at the tribes. "Survivors ready…GO!" Immediately, Soi Fon and Rukia ran out across the balance beams, both proving to be nimble. Soi Fon easily leaped from pontoon to pontoon but Rukia had a bit more trouble with it, falling down on one and having to drag herself from one to the next. By this time, Soi Fon had already made it across the bridge and was stuffing a flag in her shorts.

As Rukia reached the flags and started to come back, Renji went out for Uzukutora. He moved slowly at first, but increased his speed as his confidence in his balance grew. Rukia stepped it up, too, moving quickly. Ulquiorra went out, after her, not messing around. He made up a lot of ground on Renji, who had now reached the flags. He was only a few steps behind the red-haired man by the time both came back with flags.

Nanao raced out for Uzukutora, not having a problem with balance. Ikkaku, on the other hand, was forced to go slowly because of his shaking the beams. He was only done with the balance beams by the time Nanao reached the flags. As she began to work her way back, Ikkaku decided to just give it his all on the pontoons. Which turned out to be a bad idea. He slipped on one in the middle and fell in the water beneath him.

"Ikkaku is out!" Ichigo called out. "You have to wait until he gets out of the water before the next person can go, Shireyu!" Ikkaku resurfaced, spewing water and looking murderous. He pulled himself out of the water and Kukaku stepped out. By this time, Nanao had already come back and Rangiku was now on the course. Both women came back at almost the exact same time, but Uzukutora was up one whole flag.

Now it was Yumichika and Gin's turn. Both men managed to look graceful as they made their way across the obstacles as fast as they could. But just as Gin reached the middle of the rope bridge, he lost his balance and fell into the sand. He cursed and raced back to the start as Shinji went out, Shireyu now farther behind than ever. Yumichika returned and Aizen went out, taking his time.

As far behind as they now were, Shireyu seemed to lose hope. Their movements became slow, sluggish almost as they pulled themselves along the course. It was as if they knew they were going to lose and didn't know what to do about it. Uzukutora, on a high now, raced along the course, so confident in their abilities that they didn't even have time to fall. So of course, no one was surprised when Rangiku came back with the last flag, dancing her way along the balance beam as she did so.

"Just like that, Uzukutora wins immunity!" Ichigo said. Rangiku cheered and was hugged tightly by Shuhei, who planted a kiss on her cheek in excitement. Whistles and cat calls went up at that, though the red tribe didn't seem too enthused. "Shireyu, good effort, but you guys just gave up at the end. I'll see ya tonight at tribal council."

* * *

The mood back at Shireyu wasn't pleasant. Ikkaku stared into the fire blankly, scowling. He didn't look very happy.

* * *

"If I hadn't fallen off that fuckin' pontoon, we wouldn't be in this situation now," he said to the camera later on. "I just about killed myself when I hit the water. I was so pissed off. It's one of those things that you look back on, and go 'Shit, did I really just do that?' It was one of those moments." He sighed. "Hopefully, my tribe won't vote me out for it."

* * *

Rukia, Nemu and Lisa were down by the beach, lounging in the water as the sun beat down on them. "So, who are we doing tonight?" she asked quietly.

Nemu looked over at her, pausing from taking out her long braid. "I was thinking about Kukaku, to be honest," she said. "While she has done well in leading the tribe, so to speak, she does not really give a thought to other people's opinions or thoughts. In other words, she walks all over anybody who gets in her way."

Lisa nodded. "She is also too strong a threat for me to compete against at a later stage," she said. "I don't feel safe in keeping her around."

"But then again, do you think it might be smart to keep her for the same reason?" Rukia interjected carefully. She didn't really want to get rid of Kukaku. To be honest, she couldn't see herself surviving for very long with three men in the final four. She needed at least one other to take along, and then to convince her tribemates to kick someone else out. "If she annoys people, it'll be much easier to vote her out later on."

"Then who would you suggest go home tonight?" Nemu asked.

"Maybe Gin?" Rukia suggested, even though she knew that she had no plans to write Gin's name down anytime in the near future. She had to make these two girls believe that she was with them one hundred percent.

"Could we convince the rest of the tribe to vote for him?" Lisa asked suspiciously.

"Well, he does seem a bit untrustworthy," Nemu pointed out. "And Ikkaku should just be glad that it's not him, at this point. For some reason, he seems to think that he is going home tonight, just because he fell off in the challenge today."

"I'm for it then," Lisa said, nodding. "Are you going to talk to Ulquiorra later on?" she asked Rukia. The petite woman nodded. "Okay, then, I'll talk to Shinji."

* * *

Rukia pulled Kukaku aside from the rest of the tribe, trying to be as inconspicuous as possible. She'd already spoken to Ulquiorra about how Lisa and Nemu were plotting against Gin. He'd said that he'd mention it to Shinji, who would then speak to Gin as they planned to oust Lisa. But Rukia had some business with Kukaku first, before they headed to tribal council.

"What's up, kid?" Kukaku asked, grinning.

"I just want you to know that you're already in hot water," Rukia said cautiously.

Kukaku frowned. "What do you mean?" she asked.

"Well, to tell you the truth, Lisa, Nemu, myself, Ulquiorra and Shinji have been in an alliance to the final five for a while now," she said. "But Ulquiorra, Shinji and me discovered that Lisa and Nemu were only using us to get to the final two. So we've formed our own foursome with Gin, though Nemu and Lisa don't know that yet. They wanted you out, but I managed to convince them to try for Gin instead."

"And you're telling me this why?" Kukaku asked.

"I don't want to go to the final four with three men," Rukia said. "I'll never win."

Kukaku grinned. "So you were thinking of talking to me and pulling me in?" she asked.

Rukia nodded. "I know when we get to the merge, we can get rid of Gin easily," she said. "It will be easy to convince people that he's untrustworthy and will flip at any time. Then, it should be easy enough to convince Ulquiorra and Shinji that we can replace him with you. That makes it two men and two women. If you and me stick together, we should be able to get rid of one of them at four and take the rest of this."

Kukaku nodded. "I was waiting to see if someone might approach me for this sort of alliance," she admitted. "And to be honest, I've been thinking that it'd be a good idea to align myself with you. So then, who goes tonight?"

"We have to get rid of Lisa and Nemu before the merge," Rukia said. "They'll kill us for breaking an alliance with them, especially Lisa."

"So then it's her tonight?" Kukaku asked.

"Yeah, but you can't tell anybody," Rukia said.

"Gotcha."

* * *

The scene shifted to tribal council, just as the members of Shireyu were walking in. They placed their torches into their spots and took their seats on the stools, waiting for Ichigo to begin his questioning. The host sighed when he saw the dejected faces. "Well," he said. "You guys seem to be on a losing streak. Is there any particular reason you feel that you're here?"

"Well, it seems as if we're having trouble pulling together as a tribe for challenges," Rukia said. "There wasn't really anything we could do at the reward challenge yesterday, but today we just weren't focused. I think we psyched ourselves out before we even got to the challenge because we had lost two times in a row." There were nods of agreement.

"Do you think you can get it together?" Ichigo asked.

Kukaku snorted. "I don't have any doubts that we'll come back next time and do well," she said. "We've just got to realize that we're not beat until the other team's won. We can't just flop over and die in a challenge, like we did today."

"Are you blaming that on the two people who fell off?" Ichigo asked.

"Oh, no!" Kukaku said quickly. "It wasn't just them who got demoralized. It was our whole tribe. We just lost our morale. We'll get it back though. Don't worry." She grinned.

"So, moving on to a different topic, is camp life any better for you since you last came here?" Ichigo asked, smirking. "Has Grimmjow's absence made the mood back at camp any less…tense?"

Gin chuckled at that. "Naturally," he said, his smirk growing.

"I don't think there's any way that it could have _not_ gotten better," Nemu said. "His personality simply did not compute with the personalities of the rest of us. He is a very solitary person, I believe, and is used to doing things his own way. To put it simply, he is not a team player."

"It's one hundred and fifty percent better," Kukaku said, smiling.

"Okay, then, it is time to vote," Ichigo said, standing up. "Gin, you're first." The votes were cast, one by one. It was startling to see that no one looked worried in the slightest; Ichigo supposed this was going to be very interesting. As Ulquiorra – the last one to vote – sat down, he went to go get the votes, setting the container down as was the ritual. "I'll remind you that once the votes have been read, the decision is final and the person voted out will be asked to leave the tribal council area immediately.

"First vote: Gin." He pulled out another vote; Gin's smirk didn't go away at receiving a vote. If anything, it grew even larger because he knew what was really going to happen. "Next vote: Lisa. Gin. Lisa. Lisa." Lisa's face became more and more confused each time her name was called. Evidently, she hadn't been expecting that. "Next vote: Lisa." The bespectacled Vizard looked around now at the faces of her tribe, bewildered. Rukia wouldn't even meet her eyes. "The fifth person voted out of Survivor: Soul Reaper Style – Lisa. Five votes is enough, it's time to bring me your torch."

"Wow," Lisa said as she stood up. Nemu was openly gaping, her eyes disbelieving. "You guys got me." She grabbed her torch and moved over to Ichigo.

"Lisa, the tribe has spoken," Ichigo said as he extinguished her torch. "It's time for you to go." Lisa, still in shock, walked down the pathway. Ichigo turned to the rest of the tribe. "Nice," he commented. "You've just completed your first blindside. You guys are finally learning the arts of deception and manipulation. This is where things get interesting. Grab your torches and head on back to camp."

And so ended episode five.

* * *

Lisa's final words: "Wow, I'm shocked," she said honestly. "I would be lying if I didn't say that I was completely floored to be voted out tonight. I have to tip my hat to Rukia, though; she is playing a much bigger game than I believe anyone here realizes. If she makes it to the merge, people better watch out because she has a plan to win. She's doing it so well that I don't think the people here even realize that she's the one pulling all the strings." She smiled a bit. "That being said, I wish Shireyu the best of luck! Nemu, hope you stay alive."

* * *

Oh, how I love the blindside!! Haha, Lisa got Edgardo-ed, for anyone who saw Survivor: Fiji. That was the best move ever, lol. Rest assured that it's definitely not the last blindside this season!! Things are only just now getting hot!!

Reviews are loved!! Thanks again to everyone who's reviewed before!!


	13. Episode 6

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Bleach or Survivor. I just stuck the two of them together.

**Rating: **T

**A/N: **Okay, so I'm sorry it took so long to get this one out!! My internet was going schizo so I had to hack into the neighbor's, and then his had horrible signal. Ugh. Stupid internet. Anyways, this chapter was fun to write, even if it did take me like six hours because I was IMing one of my besties at the same time, lol. But I get to go to King's Island next week!! That's exciting. We're going with a bunch of church kids though...sheltered church kids...I wonder what they'll do when they meet me? I'm not the best role model, hehe...especially when I use colorful language. Oh well. Thanks again for all the reviews!!

* * *

**Soul Reaper Survivor  
****Episode Six – More Twisted Than a Pretzel**

It was late evening on night fifteen. The atmosphere surrounding Shireyu's beach was tense and filled with a hesitance to say anything. Rukia sat down by the fire, watching out of the corners of her eyes as Nemu slowly walked over to the shelter and went inside. She didn't come back out. Rukia breathed a sigh of relief. The other woman hadn't said anything since Lisa had been voted out; she was grateful for the lack of confrontation, but she was also worried at what the analytical woman might be plotting as revenge.

Kukaku came and sat down beside her. "Well, it went down without a hitch," she murmured quietly. Rukia nodded. "Don't worry about it. It had to be done."

"I know," Rukia said. "I'm not feeling guilty that I had to do it. I'm just anxious to see how Nemu's going to take it." She shook her head. "So far she hasn't done anything, but that's no relief. Who know's what she'll do tomorrow?"

Kukaku gave her a friendly pat on the back. "Well, don't let it bother you too much," she said. "It's not that big a deal. This is a game, after all, and we're all playing to win it." She stood up and yawned. "Well, I'm going to bed. You coming?"

"No, I think I'll sit out here for a while," Rukia responded. "I need to think a bit."

"Suit yourself," Kukaku said, shrugging. She moved away from the fire and over to the shelter, where she clambered in and laid down. The rest of the tribe was already there, either snoring or trying to fall asleep.

Rukia smiled faintly by the fire. She had a feeling that tomorrow was going to be _very _interesting.

* * *

Nemu sighed in front of the camera. "I don't quite know what to think about last night's tribal council," she admitted. "I was shocked. After all, my best ally was voted out of the game. And what was even more hurtful about it was that we were betrayed by an alliance we created; we had no clue that Ulquiorra, Rukia and Shinji had turned on us. But I think that in a way, that happening was a wake-up call for me. I got too complacent on my little throne, so someone came and dethroned me. This game is completely unpredictable. But don't count me out just yet." A faint smile found its way onto her lips. "I don't intend on giving up."

* * *

Over at Uzukutora, Yumichika was soaking in the water, leaning his head back so that the sun could shine down on his face. He sighed in contentment and then peered over at Soi Fon. "I wonder how the other tribe is doing," he murmured. "What do you think their camp is like?"

"Well, obviously their shelter isn't as good as ours, since we won the building challenge," Soi Fon responded practically. "But I think they're probably eating better than us, considering that they've got the fishing gear and we don't."

"I wish I could talk to Ikkaku," Yumichika said. "It's been years since we haven't seen each other for this long."

Soi Fon looked over at him sharply. "Yumichika, you do realize that he's the enemy in this game, right?" She waited anxiously for a response.

"I don't think so," he said, closing his eyes. "If we can pull him in to our alliance, then we've got it made at the merge."

Soi Fon shook her head. She didn't like this; she didn't like this one bit. Yumichika couldn't add in Ikkaku just because they were best friends; this was a game, and alliances had already been made. You couldn't dump the alliance you had for another one and not expect to get burned at some point. She sighed and stood up.

Yumichika opened his eyes in surprise. "Are you going somewhere?" he asked.

"Yeah, my fingers are starting to get all pruney," she said, holding out her hands. "I'll be back in half an hour."

"I'll be waiting," he said, grinning and closing his eyes again. Soi Fon gave him a tight-lipped smile and then walked back to camp, searching for Renji or Shuhei, or both. Luckily, Shuhei was standing near the shelter – which was currently unoccupied. She walked over to him, a serious look on her face.

"We have to talk," she said in a low voice. "Now."

"What's up?" he asked, frowning.

"Yumichika's up," she said. "We can't trust him anymore."

"Why not?"

"I was out there with him in the water, just talking, and he mentioned that he wanted to bring Ikkaku over into our alliance once we got to the merge," she said; her voice was quick, but quiet. "We can't let that happen. If they're together, they'll never vote each other off. There's no way."

"So, are you suggestin' that we totally blindside him and vote 'im out next tribal?" Shuhei asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"I don't want to," Soi Fon said reluctantly. "But we can't risk letting the two of them end up on a tribe together. I didn't come here to get third, fourth or fifth place."

Shuhei sighed. "Then who do we take as a replacement?" he asked. "We still need a core group of four."

"Why not take Rangiku?" Soi Fon suggested. "You've already got her like putty in your hands."

Suddenly, Shuhei glared at her. "I'm not gonna play Rangiku like that," he said angrily. "And personally, it's disgustin' that you'd even suggest that."

Soi Fon rolled her eyes, unfazed. "I just meant that she's the most likely to join with us based upon the fact that she's already so close to you," she explained. "I wasn't suggesting that you'd have to use her. It wouldn't be using her. If anything, it would be saving her."

"I dunno," Shuhei said, shaking his head. "I'll still have to think about it a bit."

* * *

"I was offended when Soi Fon came up to me and asked me to use Rangiku," Shuhei said, looking very pissed. "I mean, yeah I get it that me 'n Rangiku are close 'n all that shit. I understand that's the best person to bring in to an alliance. But the way she phrased it just really set me off. I ain't here to use anybody. That's not me." He shook his head. "'N I sure as hell don't plan on usin' Rangiku. I'd just as soon backstab Renji."

* * *

In some twist of fate, it was Rukia and Nemu who went to check the mailbox the next morning. Nemu looked over at Rukia, as if she were studying her. Rukia looked over at her questioningly. "What's the matter?" she asked.

Nemu shrugged and shook her head a bit. "I was just wondering where the events of last night set our alliance," she said. "I guess that it is fairly safe to assume that is completely disbanded now."

"It wasn't disbanded, Nemu," Rukia said quietly. "You and Lisa were just cut out of it." It was terribly blunt, she knew, but she felt that that might be the best approach to take with Nemu. There was no point in lying. What lie could she possibly tell that would be believable? Lisa was plotting to get rid of her? Nemu wouldn't believe that because Lisa had been her prime ally.

"I figured as much," Nemu said lightly. They had reached the mail bag. She reached inside and pulled out a small glass bottle. Instead was a note. Frowning slightly, she looked over at Rukia. "Should we wait to open this until we get back to camp?" she asked.

"Sure," Rukia said, frowning as well. She wondered what the point of putting the message in a bottle was. They walked back to camp in relative silence, both wondering what the bottle could mean. Nemu handed the bottle to Rukia for her to read. Rukia popped the top off the bottle easily. She took out the tiny little piece of paper and opened it. "'This one isn't about brawn. How much can you remember? You've been here sixteen days, are you a worthy contender? Make a match, any match, and bring them up two-by-two. If getting clean is what you want, you'll play as winners do."

"Oh my God," Kukaku breathed. "We get to get clean!" A huge grin break out upon her face. "It's bath day boys!"

Rukia looked over Nemu. "It's a memory game," she said. Nemu nodded. "I think we've got this one in the bag."

"Why do you say that?" Ikkaku asked from the fire.

Rukia looked at him as he if was an idiot – which she probably thought he was. "We've got Ulquiorra and Nemu," she said. "They're the two smartest people in this game. How could we possibly lose?"

Ikkaku flushed at her tone of voice. "Well, it's 'bout memory, not smarts."

* * *

"I don't really like the way things went down last night at tribal," Ikkaku revealed to the camera, shaking his head. "I guess it's fair to say that I haven't really been playin' this game very smart. I have no alliance. I think if we lose, it's me next. But last night, seein' Rukia completely take out Lisa and then look _so_ guilty about it? Bullshit." He rolled his eyes. "She don't feel guilty 'bout anythin'. She's playin' the rest of her alliance like a freakin' violin and if they don't watch out, she'll get 'em."

* * *

The scene shifted to the challenge area. The Uzukutora tribe walked in first, anxiously waiting to see who had been voted out of the other tribe. "Come on in, Shireyu!" Ichigo called out. The other tribe walked in, Kukaku in the lead, holding the flag. "Lisa, voted off at last night's tribal council." As soon as Shireyu was on their mat, Ichigo began to speak again. "Okay, let's get to today's challenge, then. It's for reward, and is very simple.

"It's a memory challenge. Each of you is gonna be given a box with three different items in it. One at a time, you're gonna ask someone else if they have one of the same items as you, to make a match. You can ask anybody on either tribe. If you get a match, take their item and bring it up with your matching item to your tribe's table up here. The tribe with the most matches wins." He acknowledged the boxes, which were all set up in a half-oval formation. "Go ahead and grab a box that's your tribe's color."

Ichigo waited until everyone had claimed a box before speaking again. "Lemme make it clear that if you raise the lid on your box too high and everyone sees your items, it's your problem," he said loudly. There were snickers at that. "With that, let's get started. Rangiku, you're first."

Rangiku cracked open the lid to her box and peered inside. She stood up and shut it, looking for a victim. Her eyes settled on Ikkaku. "Yo, Baldy, do you have a coconut shell?"

Ikkaku's brows snapped down into a furious scowl. "I am NOT bald!" he shouted.

Renji snorted. "Didja have an accident with a razor then?" he asked, snickering at his own joke. A few others joined in.

"Shut up!" Ikkaku yelled.

"Hey, so do you have a coconut shell or not?" Rangiku demanded, putting her hands on her hips. "I'm not getting any younger over here!"

"No," Ikkaku grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Rukia, you're next," Ichigo said, smirking at the banter between the two tribes. He wasn't sure whether he was going to risk calling it "friendly" just yet.

"Okay," she said, peeking down into her container. "Umm…Renji, do you have a rock?" She looked up hopefully.

Renji looked down into his own box. "Shit," he cursed under his breath, reaching inside. "Yeah, I have a rock." He held the rock out as Rukia skipped over to take it. She walked up to the front and put the matching rocks on the red table.

It was now Shuhei's turn. "Yumichika," he said. "Gimme your lil' banana." All at once, every single one of the guys burst out laughing, except for Yumichika, who flushed and slowly the banana out of his box (**A/N: Sorry couldn't resist that one, lol XD**). That was one for Uzukutora.

"Okay, Soi Fon," Shinji said, grinning. "I know ya have a sea urchin ya wanna gimme." Soi Fon smirked and held out her hand. Shinji sauntered over and took her sea urchin. "Pleasure doin' business with ya, babe." Soi Fon waited until he had turned his back to walk to the table before smirking and giving him the finger. Everyone laughed at that. Shinji just turned around and blew her a kiss, still grinning.

Nanao, was who beside Shinji, looked over at him. "Hey, Shinji, can I have your leaf?" she asked, smiling. That wiped the smirk right off Shinji's face. Apparently, he'd lifted his box just a little too high. But he reached inside the box and gave her the leaf. She walked forward, still smiling, to put the leaves on the table.

After quite a few more rounds, the score was Uzukutora – 10 and Shireyu – 8. There were only three matches left. Most people had already run out of items by now, and were thus out of the game. It was now Rangiku's turn. "Hey, Rukia, do you have a clam shell?" she asked.

Rukia sighed and held out the shell. Rangiku claimed her prize and put it on the table. It was now Rukia's turn. "Hey, Renji, do you have a bag of sand?" she asked hopefully. Renji smirked and shook his head. "Dammit," she said under her breath.

"Hey, Rukia, do you have a bag of sand?" Nanao asked. Rukia rolled her eyes and pulled out her bag of sand. Damn, she felt stupid.

Ichigo now counted the pairs one more time. "Well, that's that," he said. "There is one more pair out there and since the only people who have it are members of Uzukutora, there's not need to keep goin'. Uzukutora wins reward." The members of the orange tribe all jumped up and ran together, hugging each other in their victory joy. "Wanna know what you've won?" He had purposefully not told either tribe what they were going to win.

"Hell yeah!" Rangiku said, smiling. She was clutching one of Shuhei's arms fiercely in anticipation, a gesture that wasn't unnoticed.

"You all are gonna be taken by boat to a nearby spa that we've set up. It's on the other side of the island in a beautiful cove with crystal-clear water. While there, you'll all get to take showers – and trust me, ya ALL need 'em desperately – and just spend a day relaxing. While you're there, you're gonna get a little food too."

"Oh God, what kinda food?" Renji asked, excited. He seemed more excited about the food than the showers.

"Pizza and beer," Ichigo said, smirking. There were shouts of unbelief, joy and complete shock at that. Rangiku was practically smothering Shuhei; she'd pull him down to her chest in a huge hug. "Not only that, but you'll spend the night and come back to your camp fully refreshed tomorrow morning. Oh, and whatever soap you don't use there? You get to keep it. Also, waiting in your mail bag at home will be, for you, the second key to your lockbox." He turned to Shireyu, who was staring, dumbfounded, at the other tribe, envious beyond words. "Shireyu, sorry to say it, but I've got nothing for ya. Head on back to camp."

* * *

"When I heard what the reward was for that challenge, I just about cried," Rukia admitted to the camera. "I want a shower so badly. We all stink and we're all dirty and our clothes are disgusting. It would've been so nice to take a shower and just get clean and smell nice again." She sighed. "And the food? I love pizza. It's one of my favorite foods. It just sucks to be on this tribe right now."

* * *

Somehow, back at the Shireyu camp, Nemu and Ikkaku found themselves out along the rocks, staring out at the water. Perhaps it was because they both sensed that they were on the outskirts of their tribe. With the alliance of four – and secretly Kukaku, who added herself in with the majority no matter what – back at camp, Nemu felt it was awkward for her to be there. Ikkaku was just pissed off. That grouped them together, how unlikely a pair they were.

"Well, that sucked," Ikkaku finally offered into the awkward silence.

"Yeah," Nemu agreed. "And I can't even go back to camp without feeling like I'm unwanted."

"Heh, join the fuckin' club," Ikkaku said, grimacing. "I think it's me next, though."

"Why do you think that?" Nemu asked, interested. Surely she was the next target?

"I think they see me as a physical threat," he explained.

"Yes, but I am part of a broken alliance that they all want to forget," she countered.

"Maybe they think you're easier to beat," he said, shrugging. "Who knows? All that's important is that we're on the outs and no one's in any hurry to let us back in."

* * *

Meanwhile…Uzukutora was fully enjoying their reward. They had since been picked up by the boat and were now being dropped off at the edge of the forest. They had been given directions to follow the path up to the clearing where the spa had been made. Rangiku and Shuhei were leading, Rangiku still holding onto Shuhei tightly. "I'm sooo excited," Rangiku gushed, looking up at him. "I can't wait to take a shower!"

"I can't wait to eat!" Shuhei said, laughing. "Though a shower'll be nice too." The rest of the group was chatting in excitement as they walked along the path. They seemed to be going up a mountain of sorts, though the walk wasn't strenuous at all. Rangiku squealed when the break in the trees was visible. She suddenly ran ahead, dragging startled Shuhei with her. As soon as she got to the clearing, her jaw dropped.

"Oh…my…fuckin'…gawd," Shuhei said hoarsely. The rest of the tribe caught up to them, and experienced similar reactions. Renji let a particularly colorful string of curses that made even Shuhei flush slightly. Ahead of them was an outdoor spa, complete with eating, sleeping and bathing areas. The sleeping area was composed of a net-like tent that hung down from a tree branch and was attached to the beams of a railing that defined the area. Inside were several beds, some of which were doubles, most of which were singles.

The eating area had a table stacked high with at least twenty pizza boxes, plates, beer, soda and all kinds of dessert. The bathing area had two enclosed showers as well as an enclosed natural hot spring. There were fluffy bathrobes, towels, slippers and all kinds of soap, shampoo, conditioners, cleansers and other facial products set out on a wooden table in the middle of the area. Off to the side of the area, a waterfall poured down the mountainside a bit into a lagoon with sparkling blue water.

"Oh my God, this is gorgeous!" Rangiku gushed. "I don't know what to do first!"

"I'm taking a shower," Nanao said eagerly, moving towards one of the showers.

"Me too!" Rangiku said, deciding. The two women ran off to the shower and instantly claimed their cubicles. Nanao put her glasses down on the table, grabbed a towel and some products and then hopped into the shower. She then flung her dirty clothes over the top before turning the water on. Rangiku…on the other hand, just stripped down in the middle of the area, grabbing a towel with her free hand. Shuhei, who had gone on to eating pizza, let out a catcall. Rangiku just smirked over her shoulder and slipped into the shower.

The rest of the tribe chowed down on pizza and snacks while they waited for Nanao and Rangiku to get out of the shower. Nanao got out first and changed into her bikini, hanging the rest of her clothes over the side of the porch that enclosed the shower area. Rangiku took a bit longer, finally emerging in her bikini. She draped her used towel over the edge after using it semi-dry her long blonde hair. She smiled and then bounded over to the beer bin, grabbing a couple before sitting down next to Shuhei on a comfy padded bench. He slung an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close, sniffing her hair. It was obvious that he'd had a few beers. "Ya smell really good," he said.

Rangiku giggled and opened up open of her beers, drinking half the bottle at one time. She accepted a pizza box from Soi Fon, who was watching Renji get more and more smashed the more he drank. Yumichika had already left for the showers. There was no telling how long he'd take in there. Shuhei took another beer out of the bin and cracked it open, taking a good gulp before sighing in contentment. "I am gonna have the worst hangover tomorrow," he announced cheerfully.

"Heh, ya ain't th' only one," Renji said, already slurring his words. Rangiku began to eat her pizza. It was already getting dark soon, so she wanted to eat as much as possible before heading back to their camp the next day. She managed to eat one full box before her stomach protested and she had to move on to dessert. By now, everyone had showered and was clean and smelled nice. After a few more hours of talking and eating, they all decided to move to the beds.

To no one's surprise, Rangiku and Shuhei took the double bed. Everyone else claimed a single bed. While everyone else had seemingly passed out in minutes, the two lovebirds were still snuggling away in their bed. He had his arm wrapped around her waist and she was lying back on his shoulder. After a few minutes of giggling, he leaned down and kissed her – sloppily because of the beer. While they continued on obliviously, they didn't notice Renji and Yumichika snickering to themselves.

* * *

The next morning at the Shireyu camp was an odd one. No one seemed to be talking, and everyone seemed to be avoiding everyone. Perhaps it was just because they'd lost an amazing reward and were fully aware that the other tribe was probably just now getting back to their beach. Kukaku was just laying out on the beach in her black bikini, trying to soak up some sun. Rukia was scrubbing makeshift dishes, and the guys were out fishing. Nemu was…nowhere to be found.

After Rukia was finished, and she'd put the pot back in camp, she returned to the beach, stripping down to her own red and white striped bikini. She sat down next to Kukaku. The busty woman cracked an eye at her, before closing her eyes again. "What's up?" she asked quietly.

"I'm trying to decide who to get rid of next," she admitted.

"You mean between Ikkaku and Nemu?" Kukaku asked.

"Yeah," Rukia said, nodding. "Ikkaku's a bigger physical threat, and I don't want him to flop sides to be with Yumichika when the merge gets here. But if we vote him out now and not Nemu, there's a chance that she'll tell everyone on the other tribe not to trust us because of what we did." She sighed.

"I would suggest Nemu," Kukaku said. "You never know. The other tribe could kick off Yumichika before the merge even gets here."

"But we can't count on that," Rukia reminded her.

Kukaku shrugged. "You can't know that," she said. "There's always a chance that they're afraid of Yumichika and Ikkaku teaming up and being unstoppable in a post-merge situation. Perhaps they'll get of Yumichika, thinking that we'll never get rid of Ikkaku because we need him for his strength."

Rukia sighed. "Yeah, you're right about that," she said. "I guess we'll just have to wait and see what happens with the next challenge."

Kukaku chuckled. "Things are starting to get complicated," she said. "This game is so twisted, it's sick. We're like spiders, weaving an inescapable web for our prey." She snickered.

"Just be glad that we're the spiders right now and not the moth," Rukia said.

"Black Widow Brigade, baby," Kukaku said in response.

* * *

A few hours later, both tribes pulled in for their immunity challenge. Ichigo was standing there waiting for them, his arms crossed over his chest and a smirk on his face. "What's up?" he asked. "You guys ready for your immunity challenge today?" he asked. "Before that, I'll take back immunity from you guys, Uzukutora." He stepped forward and reclaimed the immunity idol. "Immunity is back up for grabs.

"Today's challenge requires endurance and strength," Ichigo continued. "One at a time, a tribe member will swim out to the pontoons floating in the water. You'll climb up the ladder there and attempt to break one of the seven colored boxes suspended on the beam three feet in front of the edge. Inside each box is a key. You'll need to bring those keys back and put them on your tribe's table before the next person can go. You can break the box any way you want; punch it, kick it, slam it, whatever works.

"Once you've gotten all seven keys, you'll use those keys to unlock the seven locks on your box. Each key only fits one lock, so don't force it. Once you've gotten all the locks open, remove the two bags of puzzle pieces and untie them. Then you're gonna race to put together a puzzle. The first tribe to have their puzzle complete wins. Make sense? I'll give ya a few minutes to strategize and then we'll get started.

"Okay, starting for Uzukutora is Renji, and for Shireyu, it's Ikkaku," Ichigo called out. "Survivors ready…GO!" Both men instantly began racing towards the water, diving in when it became too difficult to run. Neither was an extremely fast swimmer, so they both reached the pontoons about the same time. Renji scampered up the ladder and jumped off the edge, smashing his fist into the first orange box. The key fluttered down to the water as he resurfaced from his jump. Ikkaku took a different approach. He jumped off the edge and grabbed his box, breaking it off and pulling the key out.

Both began to swim back to shore, Ikkaku with a slight advantage because Renji had had to wait for his key to fall. As such, Rukia had a slight lead over Nanao. Rukia raced up the ladder and used Renji's method, punching the box as hard as she could. Nanao did the same. Both grabbed their keys and headed back, Shireyu still maintaining a lead over Uzukutora. It was Gin and Shuhei's turn next. Gin had proved to be an excellent swimmer and lengthened his tribe's lead by a bit.

He slinked up the ladder like a fox and jumped out to grab onto a box, ripping it apart in mid-air. Shuhei merely punched his. This gave Shireyu an ever bigger lead. Kukaku headed out, passing Shuhei as he was heading back in. Rangiku ran out as soon as he placed the key on the table. Kukaku slammed the box with her elbow, grabbing the key with her other hand. Rangiku seemed to stick with the punching strategy.

Kukaku still maintained the lead when she sent Shinji out. He made it out to the pontoon just as Rangiku was getting back to let Aizen go. Shinji drove his hand through the box, grabbing the key in mid-air and falling into the water with an audible smack. Ichigo winced in pain just watching it. Nevertheless, Shinji didn't let that slowly him down. Aizen managed to make up a little time, but it wasn't enough to catch up. Nemu was already half-way out to the pontoon by the time Soi Fon ran for the water. Nemu punched the box and started heading back, but Soi Fon kicked it, grabbing the edge of the ribbon on the handle in between her toes. It was a nice move.

Nemu put down the key, signaling Ulquiorra's time to go. Soi Fon did the same for Yumichika. Ulquiorra was proving to be just as strong physically as he was mentally, Rukia couldn't help but notice grudgingly. He would prove tough to beat one day. Ulquiorra slammed into the box and grabbed the key before heading back to shore. Yumichika grabbed the box and pulled the key out of it in a strangely elegant twist.

Ulquiorra reached the beach first. As soon as he put the last key on the table, the tribe began to unlock the locks. They had a bit of trouble at first, but managed to figure it out as Yumichika put the last key down for his tribe. Shireyu opened their box, dumping the two bags on the sand. Ikkaku and Gin began working on the knots while Nemu studied the puzzle's frame, evidently wanting to use the same strategy she had on the last puzzle challenge.

By this time, Uzukutora had unlocked their box and was untying the knots. Ikkaku began throwing pieces up onto the table for Nemu, who instantly sprung into action. She matched up borders and corners faster than the other tribe could get the knots undone. Easily enough, she finished the puzzle and signaled Ichigo. "Just like that, Shireyu wins immunity!" There were great shouts at that; after all, it'd been a while since the red tribe had won anything. "Uzukutora, good effort, but just not enough at the end. I'll see you guys tonight at tribal council."

* * *

Back at the Uzukutora beach, Rangiku and Shuhei were sitting out on the rocks together, staring out at the water forlornly. Rangiku was upset because she knew that Nanao was probably going to go home. Shuhei was just trying to figure out the right way to tell Rangiku that he needed her to be in his new alliance, thus backstabbing Yumichika.

"So…" Shuhei started finally. "Do you have any, ya know, alliances, at this point?"

Rangiku looked over at him, surprised. "Well, I've made a pact with Nanao to watch out for each other," she said slowly. "But other than that…no. Why?"

Shuhei breathed a sigh of relief. "Well, would you consider maybe bein' in an alliance with me, Renji and Soi Fon?" he asked.

"What about Yumichika?" she asked guardedly. "Don't try to deny it, I know that he was in with you guys. What did he do to make you wanna get rid of him?"

"Well, we're kinda afraid that he'll bring in Ikkaku once we get to a merge," he said quietly. "And if he and Ikkaku get together, we'll never manage to get them to vote for each other. That's so dangerous it ain't even funny."

"But you realize that I can't just vote Nanao out," Rangiku said slowly. "It would have to be the five of us working together. Could you deal with that?"

"As long as ya realize that she'd have to go at five," he said. "Couldja take that?"

"I suppose," Rangiku said. "But do you have any deals with like Renji or someone to the final two?"

Shuhei hesitated. Yes, he did have an alliance with Renji to the final two, but should he tell Rangiku that? He didn't know if that was the best way to go about things. "No," he said finally. "We decided that once it gets to four, we're gonna fight it out like men."

She snorted at that. "Okay," she said. "I believe you." She lay her head down on his shoulder. "I guess I'll do that then. Are Renji and Soi Fon okay with this though?"

He laughed; she could it vibrate through his chest. "Are you kiddin' me?" he asked. "It was Soi Fon who suggested it."

"Okay then," she said, smiling. "I guess I should say thanks for saving my ass."

"Hah, no problem," he said, leaning down and kissing the top of her hair. "I ain't votin' you out any time soon, Rangiku."

"Good."

* * *

Soi Fon pulled aside Renji when Shuhei and Rangiku went off together for their walk. He was the only one who didn't know about the vote switching to Yumichika. "Renji, we have to talk," she said quietly as they went off under the pretense of getting firewood.

"'Bout what?" he asked.

"We're getting rid of Yumichika tonight," she said quietly, picking up a log.

"WHAT?!" he asked sharply, frowning. "When the hell did that go down?"

"Just a while ago," she said. "Keep your voice down, you don't want everyone hearing us, do you?" She sighed. "I don't want to vote him out, but I don't think it's safe to stay in an alliance with him at this point."

"An' why the hell not?" he demanded.

"His primary concern is not our alliance," she told him. "It's Ikkaku. He'll put him before us, and I'm not giving away my potential final two spot to Ikkaku just because his best friend was in our alliance. We can't leave it up to the two of them."

He shook his head slowly. "Jeez, I don't like it," he said. "I didn't think I'd be comin' out here to do any major backstabbin'. Are you sure this is absolutely necessary?"

"He basically told me what he planned to do out in the water yesterday," Soi Fon told him fervently. "I don't want to vote him out! He was my primary ally out here! What does it say about me that I'm willing to vote him out? Don't answer that," she warned him.

"Does Shuhei knew 'bout this?" Renji asked, picking up a few logs.

"Yeah, I talk to him yesterday as soon as I got out of the water," she said. "And we've agreed that in his place, we're gonna take Rangiku in. I understand that's it's a dangerous move, but she's the most likely to go into an alliance with us out of her, Nanao and Aizen. And she's also more easy to manipulate at a later stage."

"You're sure this is the best move?" Renji asked hesitantly.

"It has to be. If you question it, we'll end up not doing it."

* * *

Right before tribal council, Rangiku pulled Nanao aside. "Nanao," she said quickly. "I want you to listen to me. I found a way to save our own skins in this game."

"Really?" Nanao asked, raising her eyebrows. "How?"

"Shuhei, Renji and Soi Fon want to team up with us to vote out Yumichika," Rangiku said quietly. "I was right, they were in an alliance with Yumichika, but they don't think they'll be able to keep trusting him once we get to the merge, especially if Ikkaku's still there."

"And you know this how?" Nanao asked, her eyes widening.

"I talked to Shuhei about it," Rangiku admitted. "I told him that I wouldn't come unless they included you, though I still suspect they plan on getting rid of you at five. However, I'm gonna do my damndest to flip Shuhei over with us to take out Renji or Soi Fon when that time comes. Are you okay with this?"

Nanao considered it for a moment and then slowly nodded. "It's the best option – the only option – given the situation," she said. "So we're getting rid of Yumichika tonight?"

"Yeah," Rangiku said.

"Okay then," Nanao said. "Let's do it."

* * *

The scene shifted to the tribal council area. The Uzukutora tribe took their seats and put away their flaming torches. Ichigo took his seat as well. "Well, it's been a few days since I've seen you guys," he said, smirking. "How was that reward, Yumichika? What was it like to be clean again?"

"Oh, you have no idea," Yumichika gushed. "I felt one hundred percent better than I did the day before. And now that we have the soap back at our camp, we can actually bathe there, which is nice." He smiled.

"Which was better, eating or bathing?"

"Oh, definitely eatin'," Renji said. "I know I'm probably only speakin' for myself, but that pizza really hit the spot. And sure, I liked gettin' clean too, especially with this mop on my head, but that pizza was great. And the beer was nice too." He laughed.

"Did you get completely hammered?" Ichigo asked suspiciously.

Renji looked around at the rest of his tribe sheepishly. "I dunno," he said, smiling. "Did I guys?"

"Oh, completely," Shuhei said. "Though I was pretty smashed myself…"

Renji burst out laughing at that. "Yeah, smashed enough to start snoggin' Rangiku," he said.

Shuhei's eyes widened; apparently, he really _hadn't_ thought that anybody had seen them that night. Ichigo caught on pretty quickly. "So, Shuhei, is it safe to say that you and Rangiku are an item now?"

Rangiku smiled as Shuhei answered. "Well, Ichigo, I really like Rangiku," he admitted. "I guess you could say that. There's no hidin' it now." He laughed.

"Does it worry you at all, Soi Fon, to see two people so close out here?" Ichigo continued.

"Well, it does a little," Soi Fon said quietly. "But after having talked with both of them, I know that they both understand that this is a game where feelings can't really play a part. They both realize that the odds are against both of them ending up in the final two. So it doesn't worry me as much as it probably should."

"Well, with that, it's time to vote," Ichigo said. "Aizen, you're up first." One by one, the tribe members went up to vote. After everyone was done, Ichigo stood up. "I'll go tally the votes." He went and retrieved the container. "I'd like to remind everyone that once the votes have been read, the decision is final and the person voted out will be asked to leave the tribal council area immediately. I'll read the votes." He pulled out a piece of paper. "First vote: Nanao. Second vote: Yumichika.

"Nanao. Yumichika." Yumichika frowned; what was going on? "Yumichika." He picked up the last vote. "The seventh person voted out of Survivor: Soul Reaper Style – Yumichika. Four votes is enough, it's time to bring me your torch."

Yumichika stood up and retrieved his torch numbly, still too dumbfounded to say anything. His face revealed everything. "Yumichika," Ichigo said solemnly, "the tribe has spoken." A torch was extinguished. "It's time for you to go." Yumichika turned and left without a backward glance.

"Well, just like the previous tribal council, it appears as if the blindside has come into play," Ichigo said, smiling. "He obviously didn't see it coming. We'll have to wait and see if it was a good decision. Grab your torches, head on back to camp."

And so ended episode six.

* * *

Yumichika's final words: "Well, I certainly wasn't expecting that. It stings a bit when your alliance votes you off without even a good reason." He sighed. "I don't even know why they voted me off, nor do I understand. I was solid with them, and I wasn't a liability in the challenges. I don't believe I was annoying around camp." He sighed again. "I just don't know. I'm terribly disappointed in Renji, Shuhei and Soi Fon. I thought that I could trust them, but apparently I got supplanted by a blonde floozy with enormous boobs." He rolled his eyes. "This is so humiliating."

* * *

Lol...more blindsides. I love it, love it, love it!! Haha I just realized today when I was writing this that I've totally set the merge episode up to be ridiculously twisted. Oh well, it makes for a interesting chapter. Lol, I love the drama. It makes me laugh.

Review...? Come on, you know you want to, lol!!


	14. Episode 7

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Bleach or Survivor. I just stuck the two of them together.

**Rating: **T

**A/N: **Okay, so here's the next episode!! We're almost half-way through!! And I'm sorry that it took so long in getting out. I had to work again this week, and while I didn't want to do it, I kinda had to...seing as how I've already been paid for it, lol. But that's okay. Since it's the weekend, the next episode should be out tomorrow or Sunday. Thanks again for all the reviews!!

* * *

**Soul Reaper Survivor  
****Episode Seven – Extra Notes are NEVER Good**

When the members of Uzukutora returned to their beach after tribal council, Renji found himself feeling horrible. He'd completely blindsided Yumichika. Maybe he was just wasn't cut out to completely betray people; he didn't think that Yumichika would hold a serious grudge against him, or Shuhei or Soi Fon. But he still felt bad; the man obviously hadn't seen that coming any time soon.

He looked over as Shuhei sat down beside him, near the fire. The rest of their tribe had already gone to sleep, or at least retreated into the shelter. Renji looked over at Shuhei and sighed, shaking his head. "I feel so horrible," he said.

"Ya ain't the only one," Shuhei murmured. "I know this is a game…but I wasn't expectin' to get so emotionally involved, ya know?" Renji nodded in understanding. "That was the hardest vote yet. I don't wanna blindside anyone else, but I think we might have to if we wanna seriously win this game."

Renji snorted. "I dunno if I can keep doin' this," he admitted. "It took almost everythin' outta me just to write down Yumichika's name. I wonder how Ikkaku's gonna react."

* * *

"Ya know, I've always considered myself a pretty loyal person," Renji admitted to the camera the next day. "So it's weird to have to backstab people in this game. An' I understand that it's just a game, and that ya can't read too deeply into what you're doin' or you'll feel really guilty, but…I just don't think I'm cut out to betray people."

* * *

The morning of day nineteen dawned ugly and gray over at the Shireyu beach. It was raining, and most people were still in the shelter, either looking out at the waves miserably or laying down in the pathetic excuse for a shelter, asleep. Ikkaku was standing out on the beach, his arms crossed over his chest and water dripping down his body.

"The only thing that's keepin' me here," he said to the camera, "is us winnin' immunity challenges. I know that I'm on the outs, and I know that I'm next. Knowin' that, I've gotta work my ass off to make sure that we keep winnin'." He sighed. "I wanna win this game. But the way things look now…I don't see myself lastin' much longer 'n a few days."

The scene shifted to a few hours later. It wasn't raining anymore, but the sky was just as gray and the atmosphere was just as miserable. Most people were still in the shelter, but Nemu and Kukaku had both ventured out to join Ikkaku, who was currently tending the fire and trying to keep it alive. Nemu and Kukaku were preparing some coconuts to eat. Kukaku sat up after dissecting a particularly large coconut and wiped the light sheen of sweat off her face.

"Well, this just sucks," she said to no one in particular. Nemu looked up questioningly. "The weather's gone from bad to miserable," Kukaku continued. "And the bugs suck ass. It's almost not worth even being here, you know?"

Nemu nodded in understanding. "It certainly is a disagreeable environment," she said. "But we're almost half-way through now, so it would be foolish to quit." She looked over at Ikkaku. "Don't you agree?"

He snorted. "Are you kiddin' me?" he asked. "I wanna stay here, in this game, so bad. I can't imagine anythin' not bein' worth winnin'."

"Do you really want the membership to that resort that badly?" Kukaku asked frowning; that was odd. Not many guys were big into the whole spa thing. But maybe he needed some kind of special treatment because he was bald. Who knew?

"It's not that," Ikkaku said. "I just wanna win. I'm a competitor. I didn't come out here to go home not even half-way through the game." He shook his head in irritation. "It's just that I'm not in a good position right now. I can't really do anythin' to prove to everybody that I'm needed. By now, everyone's already made alliances. And I'm not in them."

"Neither am I," Nemu said quietly. "But at least you were not completely betrayed by an alliance that you made. You simply neglected to make any alliances at all. Your lot is still open to negotiation. Someone like me, who initiated an alliance and then was cut out of the same alliance by the very people who were invited to join with you, has no ability to change their fate. They have already decided that I am not necessary, not wanted. My lot is closed."

Kukaku didn't say anything; she couldn't just tell everybody that she had a secret alliance with Rukia. That was the point of keeping it a secret – so people wouldn't find out about it. So she shrugged and played along as if she were still a loner too. "Yeah," she said, agreeing with Nemu. "I mean, you and me, we're just single players out here, Ikkaku. We don't have any loyalties to anyone. People could just vote us out to get rid of us, or they could take advantage of us and use us until it gets down to six. We're very vulnerable and very powerful at the same time."

"Yeah," Ikkaku said absently, looking away again. "Sure."

* * *

"What I said about Ikkaku and I being both very vulnerable and very powerful is still a very true statement," Kukaku later revealed in private. "My only loyalty at this point, is to Rukia. Other than that, I've basically got no alliances. I can basically do as I want, while still having that security of being in a two-person alliance. Ikkaku, on the other hand, has nothing. And even if he did, it could only be an alliance with Nemu, who isn't in any better of a position than he is. So I'm not really worried at this point."

* * *

It was already evening when Nanao and Rangiku went to check the mail over at Uzukutora. Nanao was starting to worry a bit; there had never been a call for a challenge at night before. Did this mean they wouldn't have a reward challenge this three days? But they had reached the bag. Rangiku reached down and pulled out a long piece of rope that had been coiled up and then glued together. The challenge notification was written on the rope.

"What does it say?" Nanao asked.

"I can't read it," Rangiku said, shaking her head. "It's too dark out. We'll have to take it back to camp." Nanao nodded and they headed back to camp, voicing out loud their opinions on what the challenge could be about. Everyone was waiting back at the fire, wondering why they hadn't gotten a summons yet. "Well, we have mail!" Rangiku called as soon as they were within hearing distance of each other.

"What's it say?" Renji called back, clearly interested.

"Let me get back to the fire," Rangiku said, walking over to the flames. "It's too dark to read anywhere else." She held the rope away from her slightly so that the light from the fire could reach it. Eyes narrowing, she read, "'A maze of rope, twisting and turning; you're all tangled up and your brain's hardly working. Can you figure it out? Or are you just out of time? Did you make a wrong turn? Or are you losing your mind? It won't be easy, but winning never was. Keeping a clear head here is a must.'" She looked up to gauge her tribe's reactions.

"So it's a maze?" Shuhei guessed.

"Well, duh," Rangiku said, smirking. "But it's made of rope, and it's dark outside." She whistled appreciatively. "This isn't going to be easy."

Renji shook his head in frustration. "I'm no good with mazes," he confessed.

Soi Fon grinned. "Well then, luckily for you, I am."

* * *

Both tribes arrived at the challenge a bit later on slightly nervous. Ichigo was waiting for them in a very large clearing, two large mazes standing behind him. There were big fire bundles scattered around the clearing, to provide some light. But the maze's walls were high and lined with burlap so that the light inside was dim at best.

"What's up, guys?" Ichigo asked, smirking. "You ready for today's challenge?" He jerked his head back behind him, acknowledging the two mazes. "Obviously, it's a maze. But it's not just any maze. There are tons of obstacles in there, like fallen logs, rope tangles and holes to get across. It's an easy enough concept though – just get through the maze before the other tribe." He looked up the sky, which was still cloudy, obscuring the moon and any stars. "We waited for the dark for a reason today." His smirk grew wicked. "What fun would it be to watch if you guys could see where you were going? And to make things even better," he said, bending over to pick something off the ground, "you're all gonna be tied together with rope." He held up a short piece of rope. "Sound good?" Both tribes were gaping at him in disbelief; how could they possibly do this?? But Ichigo paid that little attention. "Okay then, wanna know what you're playing for?

"The winning tribe will get a clue to their lockbox," he started. "For Uzukutora, that's your last key. For Shireyu, it's your first. As well as the key, you'll get a package delivered to your camp tomorrow morning. In the package there's a few things to make camp life better for ya – a hammock, a couple of mosquito nets, a few more cooking pots and some spices for the food. Worth playin' for?" Everyone nodded vehemently. "Shireyu, you guys have one extra member; who's sitting out?" Kukaku stepped forward. "Kukaku, go take a seat on the bench. Okay, then, let's get the rest of ya tied up and then we'll get started."

After both tribes had been tied together with the rope, they positioned themselves on opposite sides of the starting line, waiting for Ichigo to give the start. "Survivors, ready…GO!" Ichigo yelled from his raised platform in the middle of the two mazes. Because he had to have a good view of the idiotic things that were sure to happen. Who else was there to laugh when someone fell and hit their heads on logs? Personally, he was holding out on Renji…

Both tribes had shot off into the maze, twisting and turning with the narrow passageways. Ichigo hadn't been lying about the obstacles – they were everywhere, some more difficult to pass than others, but all annoying. Uzukutora looked to have a slight lead going into their first major obstacle – a large sand pit. Shireyu had gotten slightly held up at their first obstacle – a rope web. Being the stupid, headstrong man that he was, Renji just jumped into the sand and began to try to wade across. But that was only pulling the rest of his tribe down.

"Renji, stop it!" Nanao shrieked. "You're going to make us all sink, you idiot!"

"Then what am I supposed to do?" Renji cried out. From above, Ichigo snickered.

By now Shireyu had managed to get untangled from the rope web, though they were still having some problems with taking wrong turns. Was that three or four times in a row now? Finally, after stumbling upon a right path, they found themselves face to face with a huge mass of thin sticks and raw timber, held together with loose, flimsy strings. "What the hell is this?" Ikkaku demanded.

"How do we get through?" Rukia demanded, already panting.

"Well, maybe if we crawled through here-" Nemu began, pointing to a slight hole in the mass.

"No time for that!" Ikkaku said. "Just smash it up!" He threw himself the sticks, pushing his body forward with all his strength. Soon, the sticks began to creak under the strain, and then they snapped completely, falling to the ground. The rest of Shireyu picked up on this and began to help it, making the work go much faster. In just a few more minutes, they were completely out of the mess.

Back at Uzukutora's maze, they had managed to get out of the sand and were now working on getting through a rope web similar to the one Shireyu had already gotten through. Nanao, pulling up the rear, climbed through last and then the tribe pushed forward to the next obstacle – a huge tree stuck through the walls. How were they supposed to get over that??

"Well, when ya can't go over it, ya go under it," Shuhei said, dropping to his knees and beginning to shovel the sand below with his hands. Renji soon joined him in making a hole large enough for everyone to pass through. Nanao and Soi Fon went first, being the smallest members. Still, Renji had to push them through, scraping their bellies on the bark in the process. None of them seemed to mind though.

Shuhei continued to make the hole deeper, to allow Rangiku and Aizen through. After both of them were through, Shuhei went next, leaving Renji to bring up the rear. However, the hole wasn't quite large enough for his broad shoulders – he got stuck in the middle. With a grunt he tried to force his way through the hole. Shuhei bent back down again, trying to make the hole bigger as Rangiku and Aizen tried to just pull Renji through.

Finally, with a scream of pain, Renji was through. There were several minor cuts and gashes on his chest, but he stood up and pushed his tribe on, assuring them that this was nothing. Ichigo, shaking his head at the red-head's idiocy, turned over to see Shireyu's progress. They were on a roll, having gone through several more obstacles easily. With a yell of excitement, Rukia pointed towards the final obstacle – a large hole that spanned the entire width of the path.

"We're almost there!" Shinji cried out excitedly. "But how do we get across _that?_"

"Like this!" Ikkaku said. He picked up Rukia – who screamed – and threw her across. She landed on her hands and knees, and quickly scrambled to her feet, looking murderous. But Ikkaku was already busy throwing Nemu across to join her. She quickly got out of the way as Nemu sailed towards her. Shinji – who was the physically smallest of the males – was then thrown over by Ikkaku and Gin. But suddenly there was another cry of pain from the Uzukutora maze; Ichigo whirled around to see who had emitted the sound. Oh. It was just Renji; he'd hit his head on a rock jutting out of a wall. Dumbass.

Back on Shireyu's side, Ulquiorra had just been sent flying by a very determined looking Ikkaku. He turned to Gin, wondering what to do now. "We'll have to jump," he said. Gin nodded and they ran back a few feet in order to get a good head's start. They looked over at each other, nodded once, and then sprinted forward, jumping at the last minute. Gin reached the other side easily, but Ikkaku smacked into the opposite wall of the hole with a thud, knocking the wind out of him.

He shook his head once to gather his thoughts and then pulled himself up out of the hole. Rukia and Nemu excitedly pulled him up off the ground and the tribe began to run towards the finish. Uzukutora was still stuck on a particularly devilish pack of sharp rocks to bypass. It was a pretty decisive victory. "Shireyu, wins reward!" Ichigo called out as Gin brought up the rear. The red tribe all huddled together, yelling with joy at their victory. After all, it had been a while since they'd gotten a reward. Ikkaku soon broke away from the group, falling onto the sand, his chest heaving with exhaustion. The look on his face was happy though.

Having lost, the members of Uzukutora merely climbed out from under the outside wall, coming to stand near the finish line, where Ichigo and Shireyu were waiting. "Uzukutora, you guys got pretty banged up, but there's nothing here for ya," Ichigo said, smirking. "Go ahead and head back to camp." The orange tribe slowly pulled off the ropes that were binding them all together and then turned around, heading back to their head dejectedly. Ichigo turned to Shireyu. He tossed a key to Gin, who caught it easily. "There's the first key to your lockbox. The rest of your reward'll be delivered tomorrow morning. Nice job."

* * *

It was still night on day nineteen as the Uzukutora tribe returned to their camp, dejected, beaten and tired. Renji winced as he sat down. The blood from the scrapes on his chest was dried by now, so he just used some of his canteen water to wash it off. He pulled his bright red shirt on, hoping to at least keep the bugs out of it. The movement caused the already bruising bump on his head to throb painfully.

"Man, Renji, you took a beatin' today," Shuhei remarked, sitting down across from him. "Ya alright?"

"Yeah," Renji muttered, holding his head in his hands carefully. "It's just annoyin' cuz there's nothin' out here to keep your mind off the pain." Shuhei nodded in understanding. "It sucked to lose though. We gotta win this comin' immunity challenge, or we're dead."

"We will then," Soi Fon said. Renji and Shuhei turned to look at her. "There's nothing that this tribe can't do if we're backed up in a corner against a wall. I have faith in you guys. We just had a rough time today because we were already down from losing Yumichika and the challenge was really tough. We'll do better at the next one." She sat down on the ground near the fire, poking the flames with a stick to coax it a little higher.

Shuhei looked up, to scour the area for the rest of the tribe. "Is everyone else asleep?" he asked.

Soi Fon nodded. "It was a hard day today," she said. "We're all tired."

"Tell me 'bout it," Renji muttered, smirking.

Just then, Rangiku came up and put her arms around Shuhei from behind, pressing her chest up against his back. "I'm not asleep," she said – though she wasn't asleep, her voice sounded thick and slightly slurred.

Shuhei grinned. "Nope," he said, pulling her around to sit on his lap. "But you're gonna be in a few minutes." She giggled and just leaned into him. Sure enough, in a few minutes, she was out like a light. Shuhei looked up at Renji – who was smirking – and Soi Fon – who was smiling knowingly. "So, was there somethin' you guys wanted to talk about?"

Soi Fon nodded, the smile vanishing from her face as she turned to business. "I think we all know who goes next if we lose immunity," she said quietly. "But there are only a couple more challenges at most before the merge. What are we going to do if both tribes go in with five members each?"

"We hafta bring someone in from the other tribe," Renji said.

"But who?" Shuhei asked.

Renji thought about it for a moment. "It would hafta be Ikkaku," he said. "I would say Rukia, but she's devious enough to probably already have alliances over there at this point. And Ikkaku's not the type of guy who'd just make an alliance with anybody."

"Well, if what you're saying is true, then how do you know he'd make an alliance with us?" Soi Fon questioned, her eyes narrowing in thought. "We voted Yumichika, his best friend, out of this game only because we thought he'd be too dangerous if he got together with Ikkaku. How do we explain that?"

"We'd have to lie," Shuhei said, shaking his head. "We'd hafta to say that we weren't the ones who voted him off." He looked down at Rangiku, who was snuggling against his chest. "We could blame it on Rangiku, Nanao and Aizen. But we'd hafta to pin it on you too, Soi Fon. Then maybe he'd agree to be in an alliance with us four, goin' on the assurance that we'd take you out first."

"Do you think he'd believe that?" Soi Fon asked.

"I don't think he'd have much of an option," Renji remarked. "But I'd feel bad if I had to backstab him. We already did that to Yumichika. I can't do that again."

"I know whatcha mean," Shuhei said, yawning.

Soi Fon sighed. "Well, it's clear that we've all got some thinking to do about this. But right now, I think we all just need some sleep. Come on, let's go to bed." She stood up and walked over to the shelter, Renji following her. Shuhei picked up Rangiku gently and carried her into the shelter with him, eager for some sleep. What none of them noticed was the shadow hiding behind a tree a few feet away, who had listened in on their entire conversation.

* * *

The next morning at Shireyu, Rukia and Kukaku were very excited as they went to check their mail. They were hoping for their reward. Sure enough, a large box had been deposited there. They squealed in excitement and ran forward, taking the lid off. "Oh my God, look at this!" Kukaku breathed, pulling out the white rope hammock. "Finally, something comfortable to sit on!"

"I want these spices," Rukia said, pulling out the wooden box that contained bottles of spices. "Oh my God, pepper, salt, thyme, oregano, sage, mint…we are gonna have such a feast tonight!" She grinned over at Kukaku.

"Let's take this back to camp and show the others," Kukaku suggested, putting the hammock down. Rukia nodded and put down the spices. They each grabbed one of the handles on the sides of the box and hoisted it up. Together, they carried it back to camp, depositing it near the fire. "Oi, Gin!" Kukaku called out. The silver-haired man looked over at her, raising one of his eyebrows questioningly. "You need to go out and catch us some fish!"

"Why would I want to do that?" he asked nonchalantly.

"Because we have spices!" Rukia squealed in excitement, holding up the spice bottles for everyone to see. At once, everyone crowded around the crate, looking to see what else there was to be shared. Shinji immediately grabbed the hammock and went to go survey a spot to set it up; evidently, comfort was _very_ important to him. Ikkaku and Ulquiorra took the mosquito nets and set them up in the shelter to provide some relief from the bugs for everyone. The girls took out the pots, pans and spices, bringing them over to the makeshift cooking area.

"This is a really useful reward," Nemu said, looking at the shiny pots.

"Where's Shinji?" Kukaku demanded, looking around. "Little bastard snuck off with my hammock."

* * *

Back over at Uzukutora, Nanao had pulled Rangiku aside as they went to go fill up the water pot. As soon as they had gotten a decent ways away from camp, the bespectacled woman had set to telling her ally all that she had heard last night. "They're not willing to take you and I past final five and six," she said, finishing her narrative. "I don't think Shuhei is going to turn on Renji. Soi Fon…maybe…but definitely _not _Renji."

"Then we just have to cut Renji out of the picture," Rangiku said. "Not now. We need to wait until it's easier to convince everyone that we don't need him. Soi Fon's a smart woman; she'll see that by voting off Renji, we're getting rid of a big competitor. And you said they plan on trying to get Ikkaku to join up with us?"

Nanao nodded. "I don't know if it will work, but I agree that he is the most logical choice," she said.

Rangiku paused in filling up the water for a moment. "Do you think Ikkaku would be willing to go with you and me to the final four?" she asked. "We could pull in Shuhei. Once Renji's gone, he's going to need me."

"So we get Soi Fon to vote with us and Ikkaku to get Renji out, then we get rid of Soi Fon, leaving the four of us to fight it out?" Nanao asked. "Then would we get rid of Ikkaku at four?" Rangiku nodded. "But if it came down to me, you and Shuhei, wouldn't you and Shuhei pick each other for the final two?"

"No," Rangiku said firmly. "I made my alliance with you before I ever made any sort of agreement with Shuhei. He understands that. Relationships have to take the back burner in favor of the game. It's still you and me to the end, Nanao. That never changed."

Nanao nodded in relief. "I think it's a good plan," she said. "But we're going to have to do some serious planning if we want it to pay off. Are you willing to do that? We may have to manipulate people to think different things."

"I came here to play a game, Nanao," Rangiku said, pouring a final canteen of water into the pot. Nanao replaced the lid on the well. "This game is like any other game; you have to do whatever it takes to win."

* * *

When the two tribes showed up for the immunity challenge the next day, both highly wanted to win. The merge was coming up, and no one could afford to come into it with lesser numbers. That would be suicidal. So today's challenge – the next – was especially important. Ichigo was waiting for them when they got there. "You guys ready for today's challenge?" Both tribes nodded. "First things first, Shireyu, I need the immunity idol back." He stepped forward to take the immunity idol back from Kukaku, who was reluctant to let it go.

"Today's challenge is all about endurance," Ichigo said. "Three members of each tribe are gonna be the 'weight-bearers'. They'll step up onto these stone platforms here," he acknowledged the stone platforms before him, "and put the wooden pole across their shoulders. Then, two other tribe members are gonna be the 'weight-givers'. Together, they'll decide where to place weight for the other tribe. Each round, one person will get twenty pounds placed onto their poles. When ya can't hold on any more, ya let go of your pole, and you're out of the challenge. When all three are down, the other tribe wins. Make sense?" There were nods. "Okay, choose your people. Those who aren't participating can sit on the bench."

The weight-bearers ended up being Shuhei, Renji and Aizen – for Uzukutora – and Ikkaku, Gin and Ulquiorra – for Shireyu. Nemu and Kukaku were Shireyu's weight-givers, as were Nanao and Rangiku for Uzukutora.

"So this is how it's gonna work," Ichigo said, taking his customary spot in the middle. "Every round you guys decide which of the other tribe's men you want your weight put on. Then the other tribe will have to put the weight on their own members. Got it? Okay, first round. Shireyu, where're you putting your first twenty pounds?"

"Renji," Kukaku said. Rangiku reached down and pulled out two orange bags. She handed one to Nanao and then they both slid one on each side of Renji's pole.

"Uzukutora, how 'bout you?" Ichigo asked.

"Ikkaku," Nanao said calmly. Kukaku and Nemu did the same thing for Ikkaku that Rangiku and Nanao had for Renji. In the next round, the hits were the same. It appeared as if both tribes were trying to get who they thought the other tribe's strongest man was out first. At the end of the first ten rounds, both men were carrying two hundred pounds on their backs, and were beginning to show signs of strain. Both Renji and Ikkaku were sweating profusely; it was running down their faces and soaking through the shirts which neither had thought to take off.

Finally, more weight was added. They were now carrying two hundred and twenty pounds apiece. Renji was bending down, his knees quivering with the added weight. He clenched his jaw and slowly started trying to push himself up into a full standing position. But he just couldn't do it. The pole slipped from his shoulders and fell to the ground with a crash. With the shock of the immediate loss of weight, he fell to the ground, panting.

"You okay, Renji?" Rangiku asked.

"Yeah," he said, breathing heavily. "It's just…so…freakin'…heavy."

Ikkaku wasn't doing any better. He had taken to bearing the entire brunt of the weight on his shoulders, putting his hands on his thighs to brace himself. But that proved to be a fatal mistake; the pole started slipping, and before his hands could reach up to grasp it, it had fallen out of his grasp. With a snarl, he sat down on the stone platform, putting his face in his hands.

"Well, it looked like both of your guy's strategy was to load up on the big guys," Ichigo stated, crossing his arms over his chest. "And now they're both out. Let's see who you're gonna go after next. It's time to add some more weight."

Shireyu was now going after Shuhei, while Uzukutora was gunning for Ulquiorra. Shuhei managed to last longer than Ulquiorra, who dropped out at one hundred eighty pounds. Aizen had gained twenty pounds, but he wasn't really in any danger yet. Shuhei was starting to tremble, though; every muscle in his body screamed for relief, as much as he tried to fight it back. It was now all down to Gin. He was currently holding two hundred pounds, while Shuhei was holding two hundred forty.

With a cry, Shuhei inadvertently let go of his pole, leaving it all to Aizen. He staggered off his platform and fell to the ground in sheer exhaustion. Gin was in pretty bad shape, still managing to hold on at two twenty while Aizen was at a mere forty pounds. Finally, he drooped, as if he had given up completely. "I'm sorry, guys," he said quietly before letting the pole fall to the ground.

"Uzukutora wins immunity!" Ichigo cried as Aizen dropped his pole, smiling. The members of the orange tribe were not shy in acknowledging their happiness at their victory. They stopped happy-dancing, however, when they realized that Ichigo was staring at them, apparently waiting for them to finish. "However, as the losers of the challenge, the Shireyu tribe gets this." He pulled out a small glass bottle, a piece of paper rolled up inside it. He tossed it to Kukaku, who caught it and stared at it with interest.

"Do not open that," Ichigo warned them. "You will open it tonight at tribal council, after you've voted someone off. If the seal's broken, there will be consequences." He grinned. "Well, that's it, then, head on back to camp."

* * *

Back at Shireyu, Kukaku was staring at the tiny glass bottle in her hands, wondering at its contents. Rukia was staring at the bottle too, her head propped up on her chin. "I wonder what it means," she said quietly. "Do you think we're merging tonight after tribal?"

Kukaku shook her head. "I don't know," she said. "But I don't think it's good, whatever this little note says."

"Why do you think that?" Rukia asked, frowning.

"I don't know, I just don't have a good feeling about it," Kukaku said, shrugging. She looked up, drawing her dark teal eyes off the bottle. "So have you decided who's going home tonight?"

"Between Ikkaku and Nemu, you mean?" Rukia asked. Kukaku nodded. "Well, I've thought about it almost constantly in the past few days. And I still don't trust either of them. But if we're going to tribal tonight, that makes the numbers even at twelve. We don't merge until ten. We could always throw the next challenge to get rid of Ikkaku."

"But that would put us down in numbers," Kukaku said. "And we need Ikkaku for that last challenge before the merge in order to make sure that we don't lose to Uzukutora. We can't go in six-four. Besides, it would be my butt that gets cut out when they're only five of us left."

"True," Rukia said. "I couldn't go against Gin, Ulquiorra and Shinji. They'd probably vote me out instead and then never trust you because you went behind their backs to make an alliance with me, even though they never directly went to you to include you in the main alliance."

"So then who goes?" Kukaku asked.

Rukia sighed. "We can't lose Ikkaku yet, no matter how much of a wrinkle he is in our plans," she said. "It'll have to be Nemu."

* * *

Meanwhile, Ulquiorra and Shinji were out on the rocks, watching as Gin went fishing. They had discussed the vote tonight and come to the same conclusion that Rukia and Kukaku had – Nemu had to go tonight because Ikkaku's strength was still needed. "But who goes after that?" Shinji had questioned. "Ikkaku or Kukaku?"

"I don't trust either of them very much," Ulquiorra admitted. "Ikkaku is very strong, so it would make sense to get rid of him before a merge. But I don't believe he is very mentally acute. In that case, it would make sense to keep him. Kukaku, on the other hand, hides behind her brash and tough attitude. She is really quite intelligent, though I don't think she wants anyone here to know it. I trust her even less than I do Ikkaku, if I trust her at all."

"So then we hafta ta get rid of Kukaku next?" Shinji asked, scratching idly at his nose as he lay back against the sun-warmed rock. "Who's gonna tell Rukia?"

Ulquiorra shook his head. "I don't think we should tell Rukia just yet," he said warningly. "She has been getting awfully close to Kukaku the past few days, and for some reason, it has had me worried. I don't know if Rukia would go behind our backs and make a secret alliance with Kukaku, but if that is the case, then we definitely need to get Kukaku out of here as quickly as possible."

"Rukia's a little too mischievous for my likin'," Shinji admitted, staring up at the clouds. "She seems to be makin' a lot of the decisions in our little alliance."

"So it seems," Ulquiorra admitted. "But we only have to keep her with us until the final four. Then we may get rid of her. She knows that, so perhaps that is why she would be willing to make a secret deal with Kukaku."

"Well, one thing's for sure, she's makin' this game a helluva lot harder for us," Shinji commented. "I won't miss 'er when she's gone."

* * *

The scene shifted to the tribal council area, where the Shireyu tribe was just walking in, putting their torches down and then taking their seats. Ichigo was waiting for them, and he had a downright devious look on his face. He sat down as soon as the members of the red tribe had taken their seats. "So, Kukaku, you curious at all about what's in that bottle?" he asked, acknowledging the bottle that was currently in her hands.

"Hell yes!" she said, smiling. "I don't know if it's a good thing or a bad thing, but I wanna know what this note says really badly."

"Do you think it's good?" Ichigo asked, surprised.

"I don't know," she admitted.

Ichigo snorted. "It shows how much you guys don't know about this game that you think this note could be good," he said. "Lemme tell ya something: extra notes are NEVER good. Now we're just waitin' to see who you kick out before you get your next curveball."

"Bring on the curveballs!" Ikkaku said, grimacing. "Nothin' could get any worse at this point, Ichigo."

Ichigo frowned. "What do you mean?" he asked.

"Well, basically, there's an alliance of four between Ulquiorra, Gin, Shinji and Rukia," Ikkaku said. Hell, if he was going home tonight, he was going out with a bang! "Nemu, Kukaku and me are kinda the loners of the tribe. Physically, I'm the strongest of the loners; for me, it can't get any worse because they think I'm a threat."

"Well, you are a threat, from what I've seen of you at challenges," Ichigo pointed out. "Are you mad that they wanna vote you off?"

"Of course!" Ikkaku said. "I wanna win this game as much as anybody!"

"Nemu, is Ikkaku right?" Ichigo asked, turning to the quiet woman. "Are you three loners?"

"Ikkaku and myself are more loners than Kukaku is," Nemu admitted. "Kukaku is naturally more social, and hasn't made any alliances, to my knowledge. I made an alliance earlier on, and it fell through. I know that they want to get rid of me because they know I don't trust them, and will never make an alliance with them. I would want to get rid of a person like me too. Ikkaku is very strong, and he has a lot of willpower; when the challenges get to be individual, it could be hard to stop him. You have to take that into consideration as well."

Ichigo nodded. "Rukia, so how can you look at three people who have no alliances and think it's a bad thing?" he asked. "It would be smart to look at them and try to form some kind of bond with them, since you're gonna need the numbers when it gets to the merge. Or have you even thought about that?" He smirked.

"Of course I've thought about that!" Rukia said angrily. "But like Nemu said, she won't go along with any alliance we could make with her. Ikkaku doesn't trust us, and Kukaku isn't the type of person who seems to care about alliances one way or the other. So I don't know if we _could _bring anyone else into our alliance. It's not that I haven't thought about it. It's that I don't know if it could ever happen."

Ichigo shrugged. "Well, then, it's time to vote," he said, standing up. "Ikkaku, you're first." One by one, the members went up to vote. After Ulquiorra sat down, Ichigo went up the pathway to grab the container, bringing it back as he always did. "I'll remind everyone that once the votes are read, the decision is final and person voted out will be asked to leave the tribal council area immediately. We'll wait to read the note until after the person has left the tribal council area. First vote: Nemu.

"Next vote: Rukia." Rukia nodded, knowing that that was probably Nemu's vote. It made sense for it to be against her. After all, she had betrayed her and Lisa. "Nemu. Nemu." He pulled out another slip of paper. "The eighth person voted out of Survivor: Soul Reaper Style – Nemu. Four votes is enough. Go ahead and bring me your torch."

Nemu sighed and stood up, grabbing her torch. She walked over to Ichigo and smiled before putting her torch down in the holder. "Nemu, the tribe has spoken," Ichigo said, extinguishing her torch with a wry grin. "It's time for you to go." Nemu nodded and walked down the path that led away from the tribal council area.

Ichigo waited until she was a decent ways away before going and sitting back down. He couldn't hide the smirk that was on his face by now. "Okay, then, I'm sure you guys are anxious to know what that note says," he said. "Go on then, Kukaku, read the thing."

Kukaku nodded, popping the seal off the bottle and taking the lid off. She turned the bottle upside down, the little note falling into her hands. Putting the bottle on the ground, she unfolded the piece of paper and read it aloud. "'You've just voted out one member of your tribe,'" she said, eyebrows furrowed in concentration. "'Now you must vote out one more.'" She looked up in disbelief, shaking her head. "Wow," she said. "That…bites."

Ichigo couldn't help but laugh at the stunned looks on their faces. "Well, you aren't gonna get any time to discuss it either," he said. "It's time to vote again. Gin, take the box back up, will ya?" Gin stepped forward and took the box from Ichigo as he went up to vote. Ichigo was still chuckling at the looks of absolute shock on their faces. He couldn't believe that some of them had assumed an extra note was a good thing!!

Once all of the votes had been cast, he went up once again to get the votes. "Once again," he said, smirking, "the votes in here are final. Once the decision has been made, the person voted out will be asked to leave the tribal council area immediately. Let's get to it. First vote: Ikkaku.

"Next vote: Kukaku. Ikkaku." He pulled out another sheet of paper. "Kukaku." Rukia's face suddenly fell. Ichigo didn't miss it, and smirked at her. Kukaku looked defeated as well, as if she knew what was happening. "Kukaku." He pulled out the final piece of paper. "The ninth person voted out of Survivor: Soul Reaper Style – Kukaku. Four votes is enough. It's time to bring me your torch."

Kukaku sighed and stood up, grabbing her torch. She sauntered over to Ichigo, putting her torch in front of him and smiling sardonically. "Kukaku, the tribe has spoken," he said, extinguishing her flame. "It's time for you to go." Kukaku turned around and waved to her tribe before leaving.

Ichigo turned back around, smirking. "Well, you guys just got a double whammy," he said. "It'll be fun seeing how you guys deal with bein' down one now instead of equal. Grab your torches and head back to camp."

And so ended episode seven.

* * *

Nemu's final words: "Well, I can't say that I wasn't expecting this. Ever since Lisa was voted out, I knew that I was on the chopping block. Still, I have had an interesting time out here, and have gained an understanding about people that I didn't have before. And while I didn't win the prize, I would always take knowledge over a spa resort pass."

Kukaku's final words: "God, I've been fucked!" she said, her voice loud. She sighed. "Man, that stupid little piece of paper completely ruined me. If only we had won that fuckin' challenge. But I can't do anything about it now, so bitchin' ain't gonna change anything. I would be lying if I didn't say that I was very disappointed, but hey, at least Rukia voted with me. So I know that that alliance was at least true." She gave a mock salute with her hand. "Rukia – go get 'em girl. I'm rooting for you!"

* * *

There's a little taste of the Cook Islands season for anyone who saw that season. Lol, that was a good move. So there's only one episode left before the merge. And I can't wait for when it gets down to individual challenges and wins. There is gonna be some major scrambling, backstabbing and all-out competition!! This is where is starts to get good. Game on.

Thanks again to everyone who's reviewed, especially those of you who keep coming back to review!! I'd like to get seventy-five reviews by the time I uphold the next chapter...but I'm not gonna wait until I get there to release the next chapter. I'm not mean, lol. The next episode will be up when I get done with it, haha. Don't forget to vote in the popularity poll!!


	15. Episode 8

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Bleach or Survivor. I just stuck the two of them together.

**Rating: **T

**A/N: **Well, here it is, the last of the pre-merge chapters!! I'm so excited that I've made it halfway through the season...now things really start to get interesting. And I'm sorry for not getting this out last night, but my best friend basically kidnapped me and made me go see the Dark Knight with her. Which was basically the best movie ever. Lol, I love the Joker. But anyways, thanks for all the reviews!!

* * *

**Soul Reaper Survivor  
****Episode Eight – The End of an Era**

When Shireyu returned from tribal council on night twenty-one, there was an odd sort of mood in the camp. Ikkaku was stunned that he was still alive, and wondering why the heck they'd decided to keep him when he obviously had no loyalty to them whatsoever. Rukia was stunned as well, but for a different reason; all the plans she'd had regarding Kukaku had been thrown out the window when the rest of the tribe had voted her out. Now Rukia was the only woman left standing on her tribe.

Ulquiorra was watching Rukia out of the corners of his eyes, watching her. Judging from the way she was acting – almost detached, as if she were thinking very hard and not really paying attention to what was going on around her – he believed that she was truly startled that Kukaku had been voted out. He had believed it was clear that Kukaku needed to go home; they did still need Ikkaku's strength, after all, if they didn't want to go into the merge down in numbers. Then why did she seem so absent? It was obvious – she had made an alliance with Kukaku, and it had just gone down in flames. That was the only logical thing he could assume.

Shinji came up beside him in the shadows just then. "Well, it worked out better 'n I thought it would," he said quietly. "Killin' two birds with one stone, eh?"

Ulquiorra nodded. "Do you see how Rukia's acted ever since we left tribal council?" he asked softly, not turning to even look at the man beside him.

"Yeah," Shinji said slowly. "What 'bout it?"

"Obviously, we just completely crushed her plans with Kukaku," Ulquiorra responded. "She is now going to have to scramble to assure us that she had no plans with Kukaku, when in fact, she did. It is evident by the way she is acting, as well as the blank look in her eyes. She's thinking about what to do; can't you see the wheels turning in her head?"

Shinji shrugged. "Well, now she has to stick with us," he said. "She ain't got 'nother choice."

"Yes," Ulquiorra said in agreement. "Now she must do as we want because she has nothing left to stand on. The only thing we must be afraid of now is whether or not she will flip to the other side come time to merge."

"Ya think she'd do that?" Shinji asked. "They'd never trust someone who willingly flopped to the other side soon as we merged."

"We can hope that that is the case," Ulquiorra said. "And we can also hope that Rukia does not think we know about her secret alliance with Kukaku. Don't mention it to her. Perhaps if we play it out as if we do not suspect her, she will be more likely to stay with us. Once we get a numbers advantage after the merge, we'll cut her loose."

Shinji chuckled. "She just got caught up in her own lil' lies," he said, grinning. "Tomorrow mornin's gonna be interestin'."

* * *

The next morning, Rukia found herself chopping up coconuts for breakfast. No one else was awake yet, and she had decided to get a head's start on the food, knowing that it wouldn't get done unless someone got up off their ass. It was strange, being the only woman on her tribe. It wasn't that she was afraid; she had lived with a bunch of boys for years until she'd gone to the Soul Reaper Academy. And Renji hadn't been the cleanest individual in Rukongai, that was for damn sure.

* * *

"Last night sucked," she said to the camera, rubbing at her eyes. "That stupid note completely ruined most of the plans that I'd made for the final few days. I had thought that the rest of the tribe would want to vote off Ikkaku because he's such a threat, but apparently they thought we were voting off Kukaku." She shook her head. "I can hope that they didn't suspect me of secretly making an alliance with Kukaku; then I could just say that I had thought we were voting Ikkaku out after Nemu, which was true. Hopefully, I'm not completely dead in the water."

* * *

A few moments after Rukia's interview, Ulquiorra came out of the shelter, looking rather stiff. He sat down mechanically across from her at the fire, and began to watch her movements with calculating eyes. After she had finished cutting up the coconuts, she put them in a frying pan and then placed the pan on the fire, leaving the handle out of the flames so that she could grab it once the food was cooked. She sat back up, and looked over at Ulquiorra.

"Last night was very interesting," Ulquiorra offered in the awkward silence that followed.

She made an amused sort of noise in the back of her throat. "You could say that again," she said, shaking her head. "Losing two people in one night…who would've thought?"

"Had you been under the impression that we were getting rid of Ikkaku as soon as Nemu was out of the picture?" he continued. His tone wasn't pressing; it was light and leisurely, as if he was just asking a random question and not prying for answers.

"Yeah," she said. "I had thought that we considered him too much of a physical threat to compete against after the merge. But I know now that I made a mistake. I'm sorry."

He shrugged. "There's nothing to apologize for," he said easily. "You were merely under a false impression."

Somehow, his words made her squirm. She had a bad feeling that he was telling her more than one thing with those somewhat harsh words.

* * *

"Rukia as well as told me that she had had a secret alliance with Kukaku until the end," Ulquiorra confided to the camera. "Her body language spoke of guilt and an uncomfortable nature in my presence. I am not going to press her about it anymore, because I do not think that it is a problem now. However, Shinji, Gin and I will have to keep an eye on her in the future, to make sure that she doesn't flip over to the other side because she suspects that we do not trust her."

* * *

Meanwhile, over at Uzukutora, Shuhei and Rangiku were laying out on the beach together. Well…Rangiku was lying down; Shuhei was sitting up, and her head was in his lap. He was absently running his fingers through her golden hair. "So what's your favorite color?" Rangiku asked, not opening her eyes.

"Hmm…I dunno," Shuhei said, thinking. "I like black a lot."

"Black?" Rangiku asked, opening her hands to stare at him. "How can you like such a dreary color?"

"How can _you_ like pink?" he asked, smirking. "An' lime green, ya like that too, don't ya?"

"Lime green and pink are happy colors," Rangiku replied easily. "They're bright and vivid, and you never quite forget about them once you've seen them."

"They're like you," he said, the hand tangled in her hair now ceasing to move.

She smiled up at him. "Well, you're nothing like black," she said.

"Then what color am I?" he asked, sounding amused.

"Hmmm…" she said, thinking about it. "I would say…purple."

He frowned. "Purple?" he asked. "That's a girly color."

"Oh, that's ridiculous," she said, snorting. "You're a really dark purple anyways. You can sometimes come across as cold and uncaring, but you're really nice and fun to be around. Plus, purple is a sexy color."

He laughed. "An' I'm sexy, 's that it?"

"Sexy gorgeous!"

* * *

"You know, it's becoming harder and harder for me to convince myself that my relationship with Shuhei is all game," Rangiku said to the camera, smiling. "At first, the flirting was only a strategic ploy, because I didn't really wanna come out here to get attached to anyone. But now that we've been together so long, I think it's changed into something bigger than just flirting." She shrugged. "Is it a full-fledged relationship? I don't think so, not yet anyways; you can't have a full dating relationship out here. It's impossible. But could it move into something like that later on? Maybe."

* * *

The scene then shifted to Renji and Shuhei getting firewood. For a few moments, they were just breaking off tree branches. But then Renji stopped and put his hands on his hips, as if he had something to say. Shuhei stopped what he was doing and looked over at the red-head, frowning. "What 's matter?" he asked.

Renji shrugged. "Nothin'," he said quietly. "I was just wonderin'…ya do realize that we're gonna hafta to vote off Rangiku at some point, right?" After that brief pause, he seemed to rush all his words together, as if he were anxious to get them out in the open.

Shuhei blinked. "Course I know that, Renji," he said, frowning. "I've never thought differently. Why're ya bringin' it up?"

"Just seems to me like you and Rangiku're gettin' pretty close, ya know?" he said, bending over to pick up some logs. "But if we last 's long as we plan on lastin', doncha think it's gonna get harder to wanna vote her off?"

"Well, I'm never gonna _want _to vote her off," Shuhei said. "But I made a commitment to you and Soi Fon before I made one with her. She knows that too. Geez, Renji, where's all this comin' from? You worried I'm gonna flip or somethin'?"

Renji shook his head quickly. "No, that ain't it," he said slowly. "I was just…ya know, wonderin'."

* * *

"I dunno if Shuhei just doesn't see it because Rangiku's got 'im wrapped around her little finger, but he has to realize that eventually, she's gotta go," Renji explained in secret. "Whenever I bring up the subject of havin' to vote her off, he just shrugs it off like nothin's up. What I think might be happenin' is that he doesn't even wanna think about it right now, so he's pretendin' it ain't gonna happen." He shook his head. "If it comes down to it, I have a feelin' that we might hafta vote out Rangiku without tellin' him. I don't really wanna do that…but we may have no other choice."

* * *

At the next reward challenge, Uzukutora pulled up bright and eager to see who had been voted out of Shireyu. Ichigo, smirking, looked over to where the Shireyu tribe was waiting to be called in. "Shireyu, come on in guys!" he yelled. The red tribe began walking out, Ikkaku with the flag slung over his shoulder. "Nemu and Kukaku voted out at last night's tribal council."

"Both of 'em?" Shuhei asked, clearly shocked. "What happened?"

Ichigo waited for the other tribe to get to their mat before answering Shuhei's question. "You guys remember the note that Shireyu got when they lost the last immunity challenge?" he asked. Several members of Uzukutora nodded. "That note said that after they voted Nemu out, they had to vote another person out too. Just like that, Shireyu's down to five people." He clapped his hands together. "But moving on. You guys ready for today's challenge?

"The concept is, once again, very simple," Ichigo continued. "Buried in the roped-off area of sand on the beach are five flags for each tribe. You'll start out with a set of coordinates to find where the first flag's buried. Using two pieces of rope that you have, find where the coordinates intersect and start diggin'. You'll find the flag as well as your next set of coordinates if you're in the right spot. To make things more interesting, there are also ten dummy flags. These flags will be black instead of red or orange. You get a dummy flag, try again cause you're obviously not in the right spot."

He sighed. "You guys wanna know what you're playing for?" he asked. Everyone looked excited; the note that had summoned them had hinted that this was going to be a big one. "The winning tribe will be taken away by boat to the Survivor Bar." Several of the alcohol-loving contestants – Shuhei, Renji, Ikkaku, Rangiku – groaned at that. "Obviously, it's a bar. You can order whatever ya want, and we'll get it for you. Or perhaps you can ever try a new kind. And what good what beer be without food?" He snickered at the hopeful looks on the faces of the players, many of whom were by now much thinner than they had been in the beginning. "You can eat whatever you can stuff in your mouth – we got burgers, hot dogs, brats, fries and all the fixin's. Worth playing for?"

"Hell yeah," Rangiku said, smiling.

"Okay, then, head over to your starting table," Ichigo commanded. After a minute or so, both tribes were ready, the pieces of paper that held the coordinates gripped firmly in their hands. "Survivors, ready…GO!"

At once, both tribes raced out with their ropes. Rukia, who was holding the coordinates for Shireyu, stood at the base of the sand pit, looking at the eight direct points marked. "Okay, go South by Northeast and East by West!" The four men scrambled to put the ropes down on the sand. As soon as she saw the insecting spot, Rukia dashed forward, digging at the sand for all she was worth. Uzukutora was doing much the same thing, with Nanao calling out coordinates and the rest of her tribe laying out ropes. Rangiku – who was sitting out – cheered them on from the sidelines, jumping up and down.

Rukia gave a cry of elation and pulled out the first bright red flag for her tribe. She quickly went through the knots that tied the coordinates to the flag; she handed Ikkaku the piece of fabric, who raced back to their table and slammed it down on the wooden planks. Meanwhile, Rukia was busy instructing the rest of her tribe with the new coordinates. Uzukutora was close behind, getting their new flag and coordinates. Both tribes found their second flags easily, though Shireyu still had a slight lead over Uzukutora.

When it came to the third flag, Rukia gave her tribe the coordinates and began digging as soon as possible. But Uzukutora made a slight mistake in their directions, going from Southwest to North instead of Southwest to Northwest. The slight tactical error made them pull up a black flag. Angrily, Renji grabbed the coordinates from Nanao and then yelled at Shuhei to fix the error. Flustered now, the orange tribe had to work hard to catch up with Shireyu, who was now working on their fourth flag.

As Uzukutora pulled out their fourth orange flag, Rukia gave her teammates the final coordinates for the flags. Shaking with excitement, she double-checked the piece of paper to make sure that they were right; she wasn't losing, not when they were this close! Shinji gave a cry of joy as his hands closed on something. He quickly pulled it out of the sand to reveal a bright red flag. Squealing, Rukia jumped up and grabbed the flag from him, racing back to the table as her fellow tribemates languidly ran behind her. Renji, seeing that it was hopeless for his tribe to win, sat back in the sand and smacked the sand angrily, his jaw clenched tightly.

"Shireyu, wins reward!" Ichigo said, throwing his hands up in the air. The five members of the red tribe jumped up in the air, hugging each other, elated that they had finally won something involving food. It had been a while since any of them had eaten anything other than coconut and fish. Ichigo turned to the dejected Uzukutora tribe. "Nice try, guys, but not enough. Go ahead and head on back to camp."

* * *

Back at the Uzukutora camp, Renji was once again pouting at the loss of a challenge. He was down on the beach all by himself, staring sullenly out at the waves. Soi Fon, who was watching him absently from the fire, shook her head and turned to Nanao, who was sitting across from her. "This is ridiculous," she said. "He's being ridiculous. No one can win everything."

Nanao nodded in understanding. "Men," she said, rolling her eyes. Soi Fon shared the sentiment and sighed. "I think he's just put out because today's reward was alcohol."

"Yeah, probably," Soi Fon agreed. "What's so great about the stuff anyways? You get completely hammered, lose control of your voluntary actions, wake up in the early hours of the morning throwing up and then have a killer hangover. Where's the benefits?"

"I think it's just the act of inebriation," Nanao said, shrugging. "It certainly doesn't taste all that great. I should know, as many times as my Captain's accidentally snuck it into my morning tea." She rolled her eyes. "You would think that after as many years as we've worked together he would've given up by now."

"I don't think Shunsui Kyoraku knows the meaning of the word 'no'," Soi Fon said, smiling.

"I don't think so either," Nanao said, shaking her head.

* * *

Meanwhile, the Shireyu tribe was reveling in the spoils of victory. They had just boarded the large white yacht (**A/N: I know in Soul Society they don't have yachts…pretend it's imported lol**) and were currently in the cabin. There was a dark mahogany bar to one side, all different kinds of liquor, glasses and mixes stocking the shelves. On the other side of the room was a table filled with food.

"Oh my God," Rukia said, her jaw dropping at the sight of the fries. "I want some French fries so bad. But I want a hamburger too. And a hot dog. And – oh my God – is that brownies?!" She instantly ran over to the table to inspect the dish. "It is!" she squealed.

"Hey, Rukia, go easy on the food," Gin warned her. "You don't want to be throwing up all night when we get back to camp."

"I honestly don't care," Rukia said, picking out brownies and shoving them in her mouth. "I'll take getting sick if it means getting to eat tons of brownies now."

Out of nowhere, Ichigo suddenly popped up from behind the bar, dressed in a simple black tank top and a pair of tan cargo shorts. "Hey guys!" he said, smirking. Rukia screamed and dropped the brownie she'd been eating. Ichigo snickered at that, which earned a brownie being thrown at his head. He ducked easily and then glared at the small woman, who was already working on another. "So, you guys like the food?" he asked the guys, who were busy cramming their faces with burgers and hot dogs.

"Yeah," Ikkaku said through a mouthful of food. "Great."

Gin looked over at him, smirking. "You should swallow your mouth before you talk," he said reproachfully. "It's rather disgusting."

"Don't care," Ikkaku said, frowning. He looked Ichigo. "So Ichigo, whatcha doin' here?"

"Actually, I'm the bartender," Ichigo said, his smirk growing.

"No shit, really?" Ikkaku demanded, his eyes growing wide. "I didn't know you could do that!"

"There's a lot of things you don't know about me, Ikkaku," Ichigo said. He slapped his hands together and looked down. "Okay, who wants what?" There was complete silence. He looked up again, confused. "What's 's matter?" he asked, frowning. "You guys like alcohol, right?"

"Well, none of us have ever tried anything to drink besides sake," Rukia said, speaking up.

"Oh, is that all?" Ichigo asked. He snickered. "Well, I know the kinds of stuff you like, Rukia, so lemme see what I can make." He then pulled up several ingredients and a glass and began to mix up her drink for her. "You like fruity stuff right?"

"Is it like juice?" Rukia asked eagerly.

"Well…it's fruity like juice," Ichigo said, beckoning her over to the bar. She warily came over to the bar, a hot dog in her hand, and sat on a barstool. He handed her the cocktail glass filled with the bright red drink. She looked at it suspiciously and he rolled his eyes. "Just drink it," he advised her. She shrugged and took the glass in her hands, lifting it to her lips to take a drink.

Her eyes quickly widened. "Mmmm!" she said, drinking. When she finally took it away from her lips, she was smiling. "That's really good! What is that?"

"A strawberry daiquiri," he answered, smirking.

"Strawberry, huh?" she asked, her smirk growing. "Still, it's good. What kind of alcohol is in this? Is it sake?"

Ichigo grimaced. "That's a disgusting thought," he said. "No, it's rum."

"Rum?" Ikkaku asked, frowning.

"Yeah, made of sugarcane, comes mainly from the Caribbean," Ichigo said. "Not that you'd know where that is." He quickly got to work making another drink. "So, Ikkaku, you like lots of alcohol right?" Ikkaku walked over, taking his plate with him.

Ikkaku nodded, taking a seat. "Yeah," he said. "Whatcha gonna give me?"

"I think you'll like this," he said, putting the last finishing touches on the brown beverage. He pushed it up in front of Ikkaku.

Ikkaku looked at it suspiciously. "It looks like tea," he noted. "Ya even put a lemon on the side."

"It is tea," Ichigo said, smirking. "This is Long Island's version of tea."

"What the fuck's Long Island?" Ikkaku asked, taking the glass cautiously.

Ichigo rolled his eyes. "It's an island in America," he said. "Not that you'd know where that is, either. Just drink it, I haven't poisoned it or anything."

Ikkaku finally shrugged and took a healthy sip of the drink. His eyes widened as Rukia's had, and he pulled away. "Damn!" he said. "That's good shit! What the hell is in this tea?"

"Vodka, rum, tequila, triple sec and gin," Ichigo responded. "So basically, it's five different types of alcohol, with some lemon juice and soda."

Ikkaku's only response was to drink more. The other three men soon followed Ikkaku and Rukia, though Ichigo wasn't sure of exactly what to get them. Shinji, after trying several different drinks and deciding that he also liked fruity drinks, went with a Mai Tai. Gin ended up with a Bloody Mary, though Ichigo was surprised that he actually liked it. Ulquiorra surprised him by actually requesting a drink – a Godfather. He hadn't known that Ulquiorra knew about the different types of liquor, let alone something that clearly wasn't Japanese.

After they were all pretty much intoxicated, Ichigo left them on their own, making sure to tell the men crewing the boat to lock the cabin so the inebriated Soul Reapers wouldn't go outside and kill themselves. Rukia was currently sipping on her fourth daiquiri, though she missed the glass several times and spilled it on her shirt.

Ikkaku, noticing her slip, pointed and laughed at her. "I think yer drunk, Rukia," he said. But when he went up to take a sip of his own drink, he ended up spilling it all down the front of his shirt. "Dammit!" he said, giggling.

Ulquiorra, who hadn't gotten drunk at all, was merely watching his tribemates intoxicate themselves, slightly amused. He didn't even want to know what they would be like in the morning. Perhaps it would be better if they all just stayed drunk. But then…it was slightly scary to hear Ikkaku giggling. Maybe it _was _time to call it a night.

* * *

The next morning, over at Uzukutora beach, it was Soi Fon who went to check the mail. She reached down into the bag and pulled out a wooden plaque. White words were painted on the plaque, signifying their next challenge. After reading the message, she nodded once and brought it back to camp to read to the others, who were sitting around the fire.

"'Scramble up, clamber over, but don't fall on your face. Slowly and surely may be best, but it won't win you this race. Speed and agility are what it takes. Can you make the cut? Come in second place today and one more leaves your hut.'"

"So it's basically all about speed?" Nanao asked.

"I guess so," was Soi Fon's only answer.

"Speed hasn't been our tribe's strong point," Aizen noted.

"Well, we'll just have to wait and see what happens today," Soi Fon said, dropping the wooden plaque to the ground.

The scene shifted to the challenge, where Ichigo was waiting. "Okay, so you guys ready for your challenge today?" he asked. "First of all, I'll take immunity back from you, Rangiku." He stepped forward to take the idol again. He placed it back on the stand. "Immunity is back up for grabs. Today's challenge is going to test your speed and agility. One at a time, each tribe member is gonna race out to the beach and retrieve a flag. Then you'll race into the jungle, string your flag up on the line and raise the flag up into the air. Only once that person's flag has been raised up to where I can see it can the next person go. When you've got all five flags up, race back to the beach. First tribe back on their mat wins immunity." He turned to Uzukutora. "Uzukutora, you guys have one extra member. Who're you sittin' out?"

"I'll sit out," Nanao said, stepping away from her tribe to go sit on the bench.

"Okay, then," Ichigo said. "Pick your order, and we'll get started." He took his spot on a little platform a ways to the side of the running area; it was raised high enough that he could see the long flag poles sticking out of the jungle. "Survivors ready…GO!"

Immediately, Renji and Ikkaku – squaring off once again – raced down to the beach and pulled a flag off the pegs. Turning around quickly, they both sprinted towards the jungle, Ikkaku slightly in the lead as they reached the jungle path. They raced over logs and under them, through vines and over rocks until they finally reached the flag poles. Ikkaku still had a bit of a lead as he strung his flag up and began yanking on the rope to make it go. Renji was close on his tail.

"Shireyu, you're good!" Ichigo called as soon as Ikkaku's red flag had cleared the treetops. Rukia now raced down to the beach, reaching for a flag. "Uzukutora, you're good!" Rangiku was next, hot on Rukia's heels. Being smaller, Rukia was able to gain some momentum and length her lead on Rangiku. She had finished stringing the flag up the pole just as Rangiku reached her pole. As soon as he got the go-ahead from Ichigo, Ulquiorra raced out to the beach, grabbed and flag and then sprinted towards the jungle.

A few moments later, Shuhei headed for the beach. He managed to make up some ground on Ulquiorra, who wasn't having a good time with the foliage in the midst of the path. But Ulquiorra still had his flag up first, and it was lanky Shinji's turn. Once Shuhei was finished, Aizen raced towards the beach. Aizen, however, was not quite as fast as the rest of his teammates, and quickly fell behind Shinji, who was actually rather fast despite his gangly limbs. It was now Gin's turn, who easily secured the final flag and began to lope towards the flag pole. Soi Fon, however, wasn't giving up and raced towards the flag as soon as she was able.

But it wasn't enough. Just as she reached the jungle, Gin's flag raised high enough for Ichigo to see it. The Shireyu tribe went nuts and ran back towards the beach in a tangle of limbs. Laughing and shouting, they faced out to the beach and gathered together on their mat. "Shireyu wins immunity!" Ichigo called out – even though he was pretty sure that the orange tribe couldn't hear him. The members of Uzukutora slowly made their way back to the start, heads hung low. "Uzukutora, I'll see you guys tonight at tribal council."

* * *

Rangiku and Nanao were lying out on the beach after the challenge, letting the waves lap gently around their feet. The rest of the tribe wasn't really feeling very social right now, and to be honest, neither was Rangiku, but she knew that strategy never took a break. At the moment, Nanao had her eyes closed and was breathing deeply, as if she was trying to concentrate on something. Rangiku was just lying there, fiddling absently with the barbell that pierced her navel.

"So what's up, Nanao?" Rangiku asked softly. "I know you wanted to talk about something, so shoot."

The other woman sighed. "Are we doing Aizen tonight?" she asked quietly.

"That was the plan," Rangiku said. "Why, were you thinking someone else?"

"No," Nanao said easily. "I was just making sure the plan hadn't changed."

"I don't think it would be good to try and change it at this point," Rangiku said cautiously. "We're already on the outs with the other three. Hopefully, once the merge gets here, we can focus more on working on Shuhei."

"I've been thinking about that," Nanao said thoughtfully. "Are you really sure that Ikkaku would be willing to flip on Shuhei and Renji?"

"No," Rangiku said quietly. "But right now, it's the best plan that we've got. We could always get him to help us vote out Soi Fon first."

"But then we'd still be final five at best," Nanao reminded her.

"Yeah, but what if we managed to do that at seven?" Rangiku surmised. "We bring in Ikkaku and one more person from Shireyu and form a foursome, taking out Soi Fon. The rest of the group would think that we would take out the other person from Shireyu next. But what if we kept them?"

"Basically, we'd be forcing someone to join with us, under the hopes that somebody would be reluctant to force a tie at tribal council," Nanao finished.

"Basically, yeah," Rangiku said.

"Who would you pick?" Nanao asked.

"Well, if we get Ikkaku, Ulquiorra or Gin would probably be the one they'd want to vote off first, because they're strong and smart," Rangiku said. "But I don't see Shinji getting very far. And I don't trust Rukia because I don't know her very well. Ulquiorra would be my first choice, because he's logical and doesn't let his emotions get involved, you know?"

"Yeah," Nanao said. "Well, we'll just have to see what happens tomorrow. It's going to be a big day for all of us, that's for sure."

* * *

The scene shifted to tribal council, where Uzukutora had just come in and sat down. Ichigo was waiting for them, smirking as always. "So, you guys've made it this far," he said. "And you'd be idiots to not realize that the merge was coming. So…how does that affect how you play the far?"

"It's everything we think about, Ichigo," Nanao said. "Since we lost today, each tribe is going to be going into the merge with five members each. Unless someone flops on tribal lines, the next vote will be a tie. So everyone's thinking of how they could progress farther. At this point in the game, you can't think about anything else."

"Fair enough," Ichigo said, shrugging. "But do you ever wonder if you're thinking too hard?"

"This game makes my head hurt," Rangiku said, smiling. There were chuckles at that. "You have to think about every possible strategy, because if you don't, someone will find a strategy to use against you. And I mean, you're constantly running things through in your mind. You're like, 'well, I know this person isn't plotting against me' and 'this person has to go because I can't beat them' and it's just so…confusing. This game could probably drive someone insane if they weren't careful."

"You think you're going insane?" Ichigo asked.

"Maybe a touch," Rangiku said, smirking.

"What happens if you make a mistake?" Ichigo asked. "What do you do then?"

"Well, that's the crux of the issue," Soi Fon stated. "You can't afford to make mistakes in this game because if you do, that's giving someone else an opportunity to take you down. Everybody here wants to win, and eventually even we're going to have to turn on each other if we want to win the prize. If you make a mistake, you're out. It's that simple."

"Do you make mistakes, Soi Fon?" Ichigo asked, smirking.

"I've made a few mistakes, yeah," she said, nodding. "But thankfully, those mistakes occurred early in the game and were minor enough to not seriously affect my gameplay. But…we're moving into the final stages of the game, and it's going to get harder and harder to stay alive. There is no room for error anymore."

Ichigo nodded and stood up. "With that, it's time to vote. Soi Fon, you're first." One by one, the members of Uzukutora went up to vote, say their peace and then come back down. After all the votes were cast, Ichigo said, "I'll go get the votes." After he came back, he set the container on its customary podium. "Once the votes have been read, the decision is final and the person voted out will be asked to leave the tribal council area immediately. First vote: Aizen.

"Next vote: Nanao. Aizen. Aizen." He pulled out one final vote from the container. "The tenth person voted out of Survivor: Soul Reaper Style – Aizen. Four votes is enough, it's time to bring me your torch." Aizen smiled and retrieved his torch, placing it in the holder by Ichigo's feet. "Aizen, the tribe has spoken. It's time for you to go." And with that, Aizen left.

Ichigo turned to face the rest of the Uzukutora tribe. "Well, this is the beginning of the real game," he said. "Like Soi Fon said, there is no room for mistakes. It's down to do-or-die mode. We'll see what happens in the next few days. Head on back to camp."

And so ended episode eight.

* * *

Aizen's final words: "To tell you the truth, I'm kind of glad that I was voted out when I was," he admitted. "I knew that I didn't really want to be a part of the backstabbing and throat-cutting thing unless I had the upper hand, and clearly, I did not have the upper hand. Still, I had a good time and I won't forget about for a long time."

* * *

So there's episode eight!! The next chapter will be some more reactions that the Soul Reapers/Espada/Vizards have about what's happening on the show. And I know this episode was kind of short...but the next episode will be longer, just because it has to be, lol. And I still have no idea who's going to win...it's so hard to decide!!

Also, thanks for all the reviews!! I asked for seventy-five and got eighty-four. Lol, that makes me excited!! Honestly, I was only hoping for maybe one hundred reviews total...lol, but I think you guys might surpass that!! And thanks for everybody who's faved this story!! I'm already getting an idea for my next story, so hopefully you guys'll check that out once I'm done with this one. Don't forget to vote in the popularity poll!!


	16. Building

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Bleach or Survivor. I just stuck the two of them together.

**Rating: **T

**A/N: **Okay, then, more reactions from the Soul Reapers regarding Survivor!! This time it's really only other Soul Reaper's reactions, and none of the Vizard/Espada's reactions. They'll get their turn next time. This chapter was fun to write, lol. I don't know why, but it was, haha. Anyways, the next episode should be out later this week. Thanks again for all the reviews!! And if anyone's wondering why the last like ten reviews are from the same person...lol, my best friend wanted to know if she could send in reviews voting for Gin in the popularity poll cause he's her favorite. So...she did, lol, for every single frickin' chapter. sighs Oh well, I love her to death anyways.

* * *

**Soul Reaper Survivor  
****Building – Consequences of the Long Island Iced Tea**

Captain Hitsugaya was currently in his office, signing his signature on what seemed like thousands of papers. He didn't mind doing paperwork, but what annoyed him was that Matsumoto wouldn't do her share of the work. She was a lieutenant after all; she should have some responsibility, especially after he'd been kind enough to let her leave for two months to be on that Survivor program. But no, she was still off…somewhere, doing…something.

With a sigh, he leaned back in his chair and looked out the window irritably. Why did she act so much more mature out there on that god-forsaken island than she did back here? He was her Captain! She ought to respect him and do what he asked her to do! Instead, she went off drinking and cavorting and smashing people with her enormous chest. He wondered if perhaps she would do more work if he threatened her…no probably not. She'd probably just ruffle his hair and smile at him like some inane child. Which he was not, of course.

Just at that moment, the very woman he had been thinking about burst into the room, patting her hair and adjusting her shihakusho as if she'd just come running from some place. He raised an eyebrow at her heavy breathing.

"Oh, Captain!" she said, smiling nervously. "I didn't see you there!"

"Matsumoto, where have you been?" Hitsugaya asked in a carefully emotionless voice.

"Um, my home?" she said, trying to look innocent. It wasn't working. An innocent Matsumoto was his personal signal for the beginning of the Apocalypse.

"Matsumoto, you don't go to your home unless someone forces you or drags you there drunk," he said in a stern voice. "Now where were you?"

"Captain!" she said, looking offended now. "I don't get drunk!"

He rolled his eyes. "And Hyourinmaru likes summertime," he said scathingly. "If you don't answer me right now-"

"Okay, okay," Matsumoto interjected, waving her hands in front of her face to ward off his threats. "I was out drinking with Shuhei and some of the other lieutenants. But I'm not drunk!"

"You know that you have work to do," he said, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Aw, but Captain, I was having fun, too," she whined. "Ikkaku talked Captain Zaraki into forcing Ichigo to help build a new club in Soul Society! And this one has the special drinks that Ichigo makes! They're so much better than sake, especially the pina coladas and daiquiris –"

"Does it look like I care?" he asked, interrupting her.

"Um…no?" she guessed.

"Correct."

"Would it help if I told you they serve frozen drinks?"

"No."

"If the club is painted in shades of blue?"

"Why would that matter?"

"Isn't that your favorite color?"

"…No."

"Oh…well I thought it was," she said, shrugging. "What if they had an ice sculpture there?"

"No idiot is going to put an ice sculpture in the middle of a club," Hitsugaya snapped, his patience already worn thin. "Do I look like I'm stupid enough to fall for that?"

"Of course not, Captain!"

"Flattery isn't going to get you away from the mound of paperwork you've let pile up on your desk," he reminded her, placing his attention back on his own stack of paperwork.

"Do I have to?" she asked, pleading now.

"Yes, Matsumoto," he said, clenching his jaw to stop him from yelling.

"What if I promised to do it all when –"

"GOD DAMMIT, JUST DO IT, MATSUMOTO!" he yelled, springing up out of his chair and clenching his fists. She blinked at him for a moment, startled that he'd actually yelled at her, and then shrugged, walking into the other room.

"You could've just said that from the beginning, you know," she tossed over her shoulder. Still seething, Hitsugaya picked up his fallen chair and plopped down in it, holding his still clenched fists in his lap. Oh, what he wouldn't give for her to still be out on the island!

* * *

Ichigo sighed as more and more people began to crowd into the bar that Zaraki had somewhat forced him to built. He'd threatened to never stop looking for Ichigo until they had their fight, even if it meant coming to the world of the living. And that was one thing that Ichigo did _not _want. So he'd been wrangled into becoming the bartender of this new club that had been built for him. It actually wasn't bad, considering the fact that it was pretty modern for a building in Soul Society. The only bad thing was that everyone loved his drinks.

Normally, that wouldn't have been a bad thing. But what were they going to do when summer vacation was over and he had to go back to the world of the living to go to school? He couldn't come and mix drinks every day for a bunch of Soul Reapers! Nor did he want to. Granted he did have some help; Zaraki had been kind enough to volunteer some of the lower ranking Soul Reapers from division four to clean up for him.

He looked up as Renji slammed his glass back down on the counter, laughing. "I wanna 'nother one!" he said, smiling drunkenly at Ichigo. Geez, it was only four in the afternoon. Who got drunk at four in the afternoon?

"I think you've had enough," Ichigo said, taking Renji's glass away from him.

"Just gimme 'nother ona them Jagermeisters!" Renji said, waving at Ichigo to get to work. "B'fore I stomp yer ass."

Ichigo couldn't help but laugh at that. "In your current state, Renji, you couldn't stomp on an ant," he said. "Besides, I'm the owner here so I can throw ya out if ya get too pushy."

"Ya wouldn't do tha'," Renji said, laying his head down on the counter. "Ya know ya love me."

Ichigo snorted. "Yeah, right," he said. "You're completely smashed, Renji, go dunk your head in a bucket of cold water or something."

"Yeah," Renji said, sitting up straight again and looking around. "That sounds right." He got up and staggered over to the doorway before falling down the stairs. He picked himself up against hastily and went off in search of the prescribed cold water. Ichigo snickered from behind the bar, wondering how Renji had ever made it to lieutenant status.

"Ichigo!" Rukia called, coming up to take Renji's place. She hadn't been here drinking; she had only been here for the dancing. Apparently, she loved dancing, and Ichigo had to admit – grudgingly, of course – that she was quite good at it. "Where's Renji?" she asked, looking around. "I thought I saw him over here."

"Oh, he just went in search of some cold water to dunk his head in," Ichigo said, smiling wickedly.

Rukia blinked, and then scowled at him. "Ichigo!" she said, smacking his on the head.

"What was that for?" he yelped, stepping back in shock.

"He's drunk!" Rukia yelled at him. "He's likely to drown himself sticking his head in a bucket of cold water! You idiot!" She made a frustrated noise and hopped off the stool. "Which way did he go?"

"Left, I think," Ichigo said, still rubbing his head.

"You had better hope that he doesn't kill himself," she said menacingly as she stalked out the door in search of drunk Renji.

"That was the point," Ichigo said quietly, though he didn't really mean the words. He had just been having some fun. Besides, was it his fault that Renji decided to get piss drunk in the middle of the afternoon? No. He was only the bartender; all he did was serve the drinks.

* * *

Byakuya Kuchiki was currently sitting in his office, enjoying a nice drink of the tea that his third seat had brought him. It was a quiet morning, a peaceful morning, and the day's work included nothing but paperwork. That suited him just fine. He was slightly embarrassed to admit that he'd let his paperwork fall just slightly behind in his anticipation to watch that new entertainment program that Rukia had participated in.

Of course, he was rooting for Rukia. As a fellow Kuchiki, it was her job to honor the family. And so far, she was doing just fine. As long as she didn't get herself voted out next, he supposed that even the family elders might lessen their disapproval of her. Just slightly, but every little bit helped.

However, his peace was disturbed when his lieutenant burst into his office, looking around wildly as if he were searching for something. Byakuya sighed lightly and set down his tea, giving Renji a disapproving glance. The red-haired man flushed slightly and sat down in the seat across from his desk. "Did you need something, Renji?" Byakuya asked. His carefully cultivated voice showed none of his annoyance though; well…maybe a little bit.

"Well, actually, I, er, heard somethin' goin' around," Renji stammered, looking down at his fists, which were clenching his shihakusho.

"And what is being said?"

"Well…they're sayin' that you want Rukia – which is totally understandable – and Soi Fon to win the Survivor game," he said in a rush.

Byakuya blinked. "Yes," he said, signaling Renji to continue. He didn't personally see the problem yet.

"Why aren't ya supportin' me?" Renji blurted out. "I'm your lieutenant!"

Byakuya just stared at him for a moment. Why on earth would he support Renji Abarai? The man was a bumbling baboon – no references to his zanpaku-to intended – and had the raw intelligence of an insect. His eyes narrowed marginally. "Do you really want me to answer that question?"

Renji flushed and looked down. "I guess not," he muttered. He stood up. "Sorry to bother ya, Captain." He left the room quietly, shutting the door behind him. As soon as the man left, Byakuya let his mouth curve upwards into a tiny smile. However much of an idiot Renji was, he was still very entertaining to watch.

* * *

Lol, poor Renji!! Not even Byakuya supports him in Survivor!! And just to be clear, the second and third sections happen on different days. So Renji's not drunk in the third one, he's just acting like an idiot. Anyways, I'm starting to work on the next episode so it should be out soon.

We're finally over one hundred reviews!! Yay!! Granted a lot of that was due to Miss Captain Flower Power voting for Gin every single episode...lol, yeah, that name was fun to create. I saw this icon, and it was one of the animated ones, and it was like "Know your Gotei 13" and it gave off nicknames for all of the Captains. Only I couldn't remember Byakuya's nickname when I was telling it to my friend, so we just named him Captain Flower Power. The other one's were pretty funny though:

- Captain Ukitake - Captain Tuberculosis  
- Captain Kyoraku - Captain Grab Ass  
- Captain Ichimaru - Captain Asshole  
- Captain Hitsugaya - Captain Grumpypants  
- Captain Yamamoto - Captain Pwned You  
- Captain Aizen - Captain Superman  
- Captain Unohana - Captain Mom  
- Captain Soi Fon - Captain Bitch Ninja  
- Captain Kurotsuchi - Captain Freakshow  
- Captain Tosen - Captain No One Likes You  
- Captain Kuchiki - Captain Better Than You (I still think Captain Flower Power is better)  
- Captain Komamura - Captain Eats Your Face  
- Captain Zaraki - Kenpachi lol

Yeah...I thought it was funny, lol. Anyways, review if you wish!!


	17. Episode 9

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Bleach or Survivor. I just stuck the two of them together.

**Rating: **T

**A/N: **Omg, nine thousand words!! Yikes!! But it was so worth it. I worked so hard on this episode, making sure I got everything just right. And I think it turned out pretty good. This is definitely my favorite episode so far. I was debating whether or not to upload this later tonight or as soon as I was finished with it, but I decided to be nice, hehe. I worked literally all morning to finish this. The only thing that got me through it was my new obsession with jrock music. Lol, it's amazing. Anyways, thanks again for all the reviews!!

* * *

**Soul Reaper Survivor  
****Episode Nine – Let the Games Begin**

It was early on the morning of day twenty-five, and the mood around the Shireyu camp was interesting. It wasn't angry, or tense, or even depressed. Instead, it was apprehensive, anxious to see what was going to happen today. Rukia was scrubbing pots down at the beach while Ulquiorra was washing out the dishes they'd made. It was a partly cloudy day, the white puffy clouds rolling over the sun every now and then, blocking out the heat.

"So what do you think is going to happen with the merge?" Rukia asked, scrubbing at a particularly dirty spot with sand.

"I'm not sure," Ulquiorra answered. "If it doesn't happen today, I'm pretty sure that it will happen tomorrow. But I don't know if they're going to call us in for a challenge and then have us simply join afterwards or do something completely different. It could be anything, at this point."

"We never know quite what to expect," she agreed, setting the now clean pot to the side. Tentatively deciding to broach a different subject, she asked, "So are we sticking together as a tribe after we merge?"

"I think that it would be in our best interest to do so," he said lightly. "I know that Gin, Shinji and myself weren't planning on flipping, and I don't think you are. Ikkaku is the only one that I think we may have to worry about."

"Yeah," Rukia said, relieved. She had been worried that they might just get rid of her next. "The only thing I was worried about was the fact that he's friends with Renji and Shuhei. He obviously doesn't have any loyalties to us at all."

"Perhaps we could make it worth his while to stay with us," Ulquiorra suggested.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, if you or I were to offer to make an alliance with him to the final three, and then the final two, he might be more willing to stay on our side as opposed to flipping," he explained. "Do you think that would work? You have had more experience working with him in the past. Would he go for something like that?"

"I don't know," she said, shaking her head. "He's not very trusting, especially with people he doesn't know. And I think we'd definitely fall into that category. Renji and Shuhei on the other hand…he's known them for a while, and worked with Renji. You know Renji used to be in the eleventh division."

"The only thing we can do is offer our support," Ulquiorra said. "If he doesn't trust us, then there's not really anything we can do at this point."

"I guess it's kind of our own fault for not reaching out to include him in anything," Rukia said sheepishly. "Though I'm surprised he's made it this long, considering that he never had an alliance and was friends with Grimmjow."

* * *

"Both tribes are coming into the merge five-five," Rukia explained to the camera. "That's better than going in down in numbers, but it's going to be hard at tribal council mainly because unless one person on either side flips, it'll be a tie. But if someone does flip, then everyone here will know that they flipped. You can't trust someone who flips. Because if they flip on one alliance, then they'll flip on another if it benefits them. Those are people that you need in this game, because they're willing to do whatever it takes to go farther, but that isn't the person you necessarily want to be."

* * *

Meanwhile, over at Uzukutora, everyone was sitting around the fire, not talking or looking anyone in the eye. It was as if they were all thinking hard about what was coming up in the next day or so. Which they were, of course. Finally, Rangiku stood up and put her hands on her hips, half-glaring at everybody. Everyone's eyes eventually fell upon her.

"Okay, everybody, the mood around here just sucks!" she proclaimed, flipping her hair back so that it wasn't in her face. "I know that things are gonna get serious in the next few days, but we all need to just lighten up!" She reached over and pulled a startled Shuhei into a standing position. "Come on! Get up and let's do a happy dance!" She grabbed Shuhei's hands and began to twirl him around with her as she jumped up and down.

She abruptly let go of him and grabbed Nanao's hands, dancing with her for a little bit. She did the same for everyone, eventually ending with a somewhat startled Soi Fon. Everyone nervously began to dance around her, really only doing it to make Rangiku happy. But eventually they all began laughing and dancing around with abandon. Even Soi Fon was dancing.

Finally, they all landed in a tangled heap on the ground, laughing and sweaty. Rangiku pushed herself up off the ground. "See?" she said. "Doesn't everyone feel better now?"

"Well, I'm certainly feeling highly embarrassed," Nanao said as she pushed her glasses up. "I haven't danced like that in years. Well, to come to think of it…I don't even remember if I _ever _danced like that."

"Don't worry 'bout it, Nanao," Renji assured. "Me neither."

* * *

"Okay, so the happy dance was a little retarded," Rangiku admitted to the camera with a giggle. "But it did what I wanted it to! We've all been so down lately what with the merge coming up because we all know that it's just going to get a lot harder from here on out. I just wanted everyone to forget about it for a little while and just enjoy the fact that we're here!" She laughed. "I mean, we're on a tropical island, away from our duty and paperwork and everything else! We'll never get this opportunity again, so why not just take it? I wanna absorb as much of this as I can because I know that I'm never coming back here."

* * *

After Uzukutora's little bout of the happy jigs, Rangiku and Shuhei went to go and check for any updates via mail. They were giggling as they walked along the pathway, still talking about Rangiku's little stunt back at camp. "Did ya do that on purpose?" Shuhei asked, smirking at her.

"Do what?" she asked innocently.

"Well, I mean, didja plan to do that all mornin' or was it just an impulse?" he clarified.

She giggled. "That was an impulse," she admitted. "Who plans to do a happy dance?"

"Geez, I dunno," he said, shaking his head.

"Exactly," she said as they stopped at the mail bag. She reached inside and felt around; when she pulled her hand back out, she was clutching a piece of paper that had been tightly rolled up around a pen. "Well, we have mail."

"Let's take it back to camp," Shuhei suggested. She nodded and they walked back to camp, guessing about what it could be. When they reached the camp, Rangiku uncurled the paper and read it aloud to everyone. But the message it contained was puzzling.

"'You've been out here now for twenty-five days. It's time to find out what's going to happen during the final leg of your adventure. Choose one member of your tribe – only one – to represent your group in the upcoming election. A boat will arrive soon to pick them up. Have them take the pen and this paper with them.'" After Rangiku was finished reading, she looked up, frowning. "That's odd," she said. "Normally they rhyme. This is just like…instructions."

"So who's representing us?" Nanao asked.

"I think it should be Shuhei," Soi Fon said quietly.

"Me?" Shuhei asked in surprise.

"Yes, you," Soi Fon said. "You've always had the benefit of the tribe in your mind and you're willing to make sacrifices to help us. I think you've proven how much you care about this tribe and about us. Why shouldn't it be you?"

"You guys sure 'bout this?" Shuhei asked, frowning.

"Hell, why not," Renji said. "I'm okay with it."

"I think you'd be a good representative!" Rangiku said, smiling.

"Thanks," Shuhei said weakly. He turned to Nanao, who was the only person left who hadn't voiced her opinion. "Whaddya think, Nanao?"

"I agree with Soi Fon," Nanao said quietly. "You've proven your loyalty to this tribe over and over again. I think it would be wrong to chose anyone _but _you."

Shuhei shrugged. "Okay, then, it's me," he said. "Gimme that pen."

* * *

Meanwhile, over at Shireyu, the tribe was facing the same dilemma. Ulquiorra had just finished reading the note and they were all somewhat letting it sink in. Who would they send? "I think you should go, Ulquiorra," Rukia said after a while.

"What?" Ulquiorra asked, frowning slightly. "Why me?"

"Because you think things through logically and you aren't going to agree to do something – whatever it is you _do _have to do – without thinking about how it's going to affect all of us," she said, meaning her and the rest of the tribe. "You've led us well before."

"I agree," Shinji said; he sounded as if he liked the idea. "Ya represent us well."

Ikkaku shrugged. "It doesn't really matter who goes to me," he admitted. "Whaddya they gotta do anyways?"

"All it said was the two people were going to meet and represent their tribe," Ulquiorra said, looking down at the note to make sure he'd gotten it right. "That was the only hint that it gave."

"Better you than me," Gin said, shrugging.

Ulquiorra nodded once. "Alright, then, I will go."

* * *

"Did I want to be the one who got stuck meeting with the other tribe's representative?" Gin asked the camera. "Oh, god, no. I don't want to be in a position where I can make a mistake and then later on have people penalize me for it. Oh, no, I'd much rather stick back and lie low and hope that someone else has enough common sense to fulfill all our wants."

* * *

The scene then shifted to show Ulquiorra and Shuhei both being picked up by different boats. Both of them had taken nothing but the pieces of paper and pens with them, as they had been instructed. They found themselves in a small, grassy clearing, a low table sat on the ground in the middle with a pitcher of ice water and two glasses beside it. Ulquiorra walked in from one side of the clearing and Shuhei from the other.

As soon as they reached the middle, they sat down hesitantly and set the items they'd brought down on the table. Ulquiorra politely poured them both a glass of water. "So.." Shuhei began uncertainly. "What exactly 're we supposed to do here?"

"I don't know myself," Ulquiorra said quietly.

After a few moments of awkward silence, Ichigo came out, a wooden serving tray on one raised arm. He was smirking. "What's up, Shuhei, Ulquiorra?" he asked, coming to stop right beside the table. "Obviously, you two are the representatives. But lemme ease your fears. You wanna know what this is all about, right?" There were two nods at that. "Okay, then." He lowered the serving tray down to where one of them could reach out and pick up the tightly rolled up paper that was on it. Ulquiorra hesitantly did just that. "There's your further instructions. When you're done, the boats're waiting for ya back at the beach. I'll see you guys later." And just like that, he was gone, taking the tray with him.

"What the hell is goin' on?" Shuhei muttered.

"Well, let's find out," Ulquiorra said, untying the loose knot that kept the paper rolled up. He unrolled it and began to read the words on the page. "'Congratulations, you are now one tribe. As the tribal representatives from Shireyu and Uzukutora, it is up to the two of you to decide on a new tribe name and which of the two camps you will be living at. Think carefully; once the decision is made, you cannot change it. The members of the camp that is being abandoned will be able to take any rewards that have been won, camp items and personal items over to the new camp. The boat that drops the member of the abandoned camp off will also take the rest of that tribe to the new camp.'"

Ulquiorra looked up when he was done. Shuhei looked both shocked and excited. "Alright then!" he said, clapping his hands together. "Let's get to work! How 'bout a name? Got any suggestions?"

"Perhaps we should do something that involves both of the old tribe names," Ulquiorra suggested.

"Like mixin' the two words together?" Shuhei asked. Ulquiorra nodded. "'Kay then. How 'bout…Shiretora?"

"Hmm…it's not bad," Ulquiorra said. "But what if we took the two meanings of both tribe names and mixed them?"

"Whaddya mean?" Shuhei asked, frowning.

"Well, Shireyu – roughly translated – means 'hidden dragon'," Ulquiorra explained. "Just as Uzukutora means 'crouching tiger'. What if we mixed the two meanings to have something like 'hidden tiger'?"

"Well, that could be cool," Shuhei said. Suddenly his face brightened with an idea. "Oh, what 'bout this? Okay, so ya know how they based both of the original tribe names on animals?" Ulquiorra nodded, following him. "Well, what if used a new animal for the merge? Like another animal that sounds cool."

"What kind of animal?" Ulquiorra asked.

"I dunno," Shuhei said, his face falling a bit.

There was silence for a moment. Then, "What if we used something that meant 'phoenix'?" Ulquiorra suggested. Shuhei looked up at him quizzically. "We have survived twenty-five days here, and it is almost like we are being reborn – as a phoenix is reborn – for this final stage of the game."

"Ah, nice!" Shuhei said appreciatively. "That's deep, man!"

"So, then, would something like Seikahou work?" Ulquiorra asked, making a fast, very rough translation.

"What's that mean?" Shuhei asked, frowning.

"It's a very rough translation for 'sacred song of the mythical phoenix'," Ulquiorra said quietly. "Will that work?"

"Yeah, sounds cool!" Shuhei said enthusiastically. "So where're we gonna live?"

"Well, your tribe won the shelter building challenge," Ulquiorra stated calmly. "So I believe that your home is better. Do you have easy access to coconuts and other fruit?"

"Are you kiddin' me?" Shuhei asked, snorting. "Our beach is frickin' coconut central. And they're lots of rocks nearby where we get snails and mussels. They taste like shit, but they're meat. And the shelter's pretty good. It's still kinda big, so we might not even hafta to make it any bigger."

Ulquiorra nodded. "Our beach is not that pleasant," he admitted. "And we are somewhat running out of coconuts."

"Then I guess we'll move to our beach?" Shuhei asked.

Ulquiorra nodded. The both of them stood up then, their job now accomplished. They grasped hands firmly – in the manly way men do – before beginning to walk back down to the beach. Once they reached the boats, they went their separate ways.

"Hey, Ulquiorra, see ya in a few hours man!" Shuhei called out from his rapidly retreating boat.

Ulquiorra nodded, even though he knew the other man had no way of being able to see the motion with the distance that now separated them. He smiled faintly to himself as the boat took him back to his camp; things were just getting interesting. It would be fun to watch it all play out.

* * *

When Ulquiorra made it back to what was now the soon-to-be-abandoned Shireyu camp, all of his tribemates were waiting eagerly for him at the beach. "What's going on?" Rukia asked as soon as he made it within ten feet of them.

"It's a merge," he explained. There were excited shouts at that. "And we're moving." Everyone paused there. "Shuhei was the representative for Uzukutora. We decided that their beach is probably better, considering that they won the shelter-building challenge; he also stated that they have plenty of coconuts over there, while we're running out over here. We're allowed to take anything we've won, our camp items and personal items with us. This boat is going to take us there once we've gotten everything."

"Alright, let's get goin'!" Ikkaku said excitedly. He and the rest of the men immediately began to head back to camp to start packing things up. Rukia stayed back with Ulquiorra though.

"What's the new tribe name?" she asked.

"Seikahou," he said easily.

"That's pretty," she said, smiling. Then she sighed. "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's get packing." As they walked back into camp, she couldn't help but add, "I can't wait to leave this place."

* * *

Meanwhile, over at Uzukutora, Shuhei was just getting off his boat. Rangiku and Renji were the only ones who were down on the beach to meet them. "Soi Fon's making some coconuts, and Nanao is helping," Rangiku explained. "They wanted to welcome you too, but I'm not going to let the food burn." She slipped an arm easily through Shuhei's as they walked back to camp. "So what's going on?"

"Well, we're 'bout to get some new people around camp," Shuhei said, smiling.

Rangiku stopped and looked up at him, frowning. "What?" she asked, startled.

"What the hell?" Renji asked.

"We're mergin'!" Shuhei said. "And we're all gonna live here at our camp because it's apparently better 'n theirs."

"Really?" Rangiku breathed. Shuhei nodded. "That's so exciting! Oh my God, we have to clean up! It's a mess around camp! They'll think we're absolute pigs!" She let go of his arm abruptly and rushed back into camp, to tell Soi Fon and Nanao and start tidying up a bit.

Shuhei looked over at Renji, who still had a startled expression on his face. "What's the look for, Renji?" he asked, smirking. "Ya knew it was gonna happen sooner or later."

Renji shook his head. "No, I know that," he said. "I just thought we'd, ya know, hafta to live on a completely different beach. I didn't think we'd still be livin' here." They fell into step beside each other as they slowly walked back to camp.

"I'm kinda glad we are, though," Shuhei said. "Now we don't gotta build 'nother shelter. And we're used to livin' here. Plus, ya know, it's like, our turf, so we got the advantage." Honestly, he wasn't really sure how much of an advantage that was, but he'd heard the phrase in the world of the living. It had involved something with some kind of sport, he remembered that much **(A/N: home field advantage, you know**).

For the next hour or so, they managed to clean up camp and stock it with firewood and coconuts and the like. They wanted it to be as nice as possible when the other tribe got here, so that, one, they looked good, and two, they wouldn't have to go get firewood and coconuts. After that, the waiting game began.

They were all sitting around the fire in various postures, waiting. No one was really talking or moving, or doing anything other than just sitting there. Everyone was slightly nervous; you could see it in the way eyes would occasionally flick to the beach, and then back to the fire when no one was there. Only seconds later, those eyes would flick back out to the beach. Finally, Rangiku stood up. "I can't take this anymore," she announced. "I'm going down to the beach to wait. Anybody wanna join me?"

"Sure, I'll go," Shuhei said, standing.

The rest of the tribe soon followed. "We might as well all go," Soi Fon said, shrugging, when Rangiku turned to look at them quizzically. "If we're going to be unproductive, we might as well be unproductive on the beach. At least then I can lay out in the sun." After having spent several weeks with Rangiku, Soi Fon was beginning to enjoy laying out, if for no other reason than it felt very good and relaxed her muscles. She would never admit that she enjoyed getting a tan too.

So the tribe moved to the beach, where they either sat down or lay down on the sand, waiting for the boat that was carrying their new tribemates to come. It was about ten minutes later the sound of a motor filled their ears. (**A/N: Once again…I know they don't have motor boats in Soul Society…but they need to be there…so pretend they're imported or something, lol**). Those people who were laying down were now sitting up, if not standing, and everyone who had been just sitting was now on their feet.

"Do you see anything?" Rangiku asked, putting her hand over her eyes and scanning the horizon. She clambered over to a nearby rock and scrambled to the top to give her a height advantage.

Renji, who was the tallest member of the tribe, climbed over to the rock to join her. "Yeah, there they are!" he shouted, happy. Like the dumbass he was, he soon began waving his arms like a completely idiot, as if he was signaling a helicopter to land or something. The boat quickly approached and stopped about twenty feet away from the water's edge. The five prior members of Shireyu quickly jumped off the boat and walked over to meet them.

There were immediately lots of hugs exchanged and pleasantries, and then the freshly cleaned camp was shown off proudly. "This is your shelter?" Rukia asked, incredulous. "Compared to our camp, this is so…nice. Oh my god," she said, shaking her head in disbelief.

"Your beach is much better too, just because of the happenstance of the location," Ulquiorra stated, looking around in satisfaction.

Renji laughed. "Well, I'm glad ya like it!" he said happily. "Ya have no idea how long it took us to build this thing!" He jerked his head in the general direction of their shelter.

* * *

"There camp is so much nicer than ours was," Rukia admitted to the cameras. "Oh my gosh, our camp was even worse than some of the houses I saw in Rukongai! I think that the term they use in the world of the living to describe a house like ours would be hobo junction." She laughed. "Isn't that a weird expression? But seriously, we have it so much better over here. I don't question Ulquiorra's decision to move over here at all. That was seriously one of the best moves he's made, in my opinion!" She laughed again.

* * *

The scene shifted ahead in time to the next challenge. They all walked in, this time with no tribe flags because they weren't two tribes anymore. Ichigo was waiting for them, next to a small table on which a pot was placed. There was no tribe mat for them to stand on either. They simply gathered in a little group about ten feet away from Ichigo.

"What's up?" he asked, smirking. "So, tell me, what's the new tribe name?"

"Seikahou," Shuhei said. "Ulquiorra came up with it. Means somethin' 'bout a sacred phoenix's song."

"Seikahou," Ichigo repeated, nodding. "Okay. I like it. Now, drop your buffs." Everyone stared at him blankly. He rolled his eyes and picked up the pot on the table. "You're a new tribe. Did ya really think you were gonna keep those nasty things for the last part of the game? They're the wrong color, anyways."

"We get a new color?" Ikkaku asked, clearly surprised.

"Course," Ichigo said, bringing the pot over to the contestants. "Why don't ya reach in there and find out what color it is?"

Ikkaku shrugged and reached into the clay pot, reaching around and then grabbing a buff. He pulled it out and smirked when he saw the color – blue. "Nice," he said, taking his dirty red buff off his arm and replacing it with the clean blue one. The rest of the tribe did the same as they pulled their buffs out of the pot. When all the buffs were gone, Ichigo returned the pot to the table and brought over a new tribal flag, colored blue, with – coincidentally – a picture of a black bird on it.

"So then, you guys ready to get to today's challenge?" Ichigo asked. "It's for immunity. But before I get to that, Shireyu, did you bring the immunity idol?" Rukia held up. He nodded and went over to take it. "Good," he said, putting it on the table next to the empty pot. "Tribal immunity is no more. _This _is what you covet now." He pulled a burlap covering off a large pole that had been stuck in the sand. Hanging off a peg near the top was what appeared to be a very nondescript zanpaku-to, with a belt attached to it so that it would hang over the shoulder.

"The challenge today is very simple," Ichigo continued. "It's all about who wants it the most. You are gonna be standing out there on an individual perch, bending over towards your feet. Once you're in place, a board in going to be placed across the back of the frames around your platform. If you raise your back up high enough to move the board, it'll break a very thin string that will raise a flag. Once your flag is raised, you're out.

"There are a couple of other rules too," he went on. "You cannot sit down on your perch, touch the perch with your hands, or touch the board above you with your hands. If you do that, you're out. Make sense?" Everyone nodded. "Okay, go ahead and remove your shoes if you wanna, and swim on out, picking a perch. They're all the same." A few minutes later, everyone was in place and the boards were in place. "This challenge is on," Ichigo said, taking a seat on a chair that had been placed on a much large floating pontoon in the water. He smirked. "This could go a while."

After about five minutes, Gin sighed. "This isn't very comfortable," he complained.

"It's not supposed to be comfortable," Ichigo said, rolling his eyes. He looked over at Ulquiorra, who had not moved one bit since the challenge had begun. "Ulquiorra, you haven't moved a bit since you got on that perch. How long do ya think ya can go?"

"As long as it takes," Ulquiorra said stoically.

The scene shifted forward in time to an hour. Ichigo had left a few minutes ago, and now he was back, a covered dish in his hand. "Oh my god, you bastard!" Rangiku cried out, immediately sensing that he was going to tempt them with some kind of food.

"What?" Ichigo asked innocently, setting the dish down on a low table to his right. He sat down in his chair again. "This is just a little something for the first person who's willing to jump off for it," he said, shrugging. "If no one jumps off, I'll eat 'em."

"What is it?" Renji asked, peering at the covered dish with interest.

"Just some chocolate chip cookies," Ichigo said, shrugging. "Nothing special."

"Nothing special!" Rangiku moaned. "Oh my god, I want them!"

"You're willing to jump into the water for four cookies?" Ichigo asked. "Just like that?"

She thought about it for a minute. "Yeah, I'm in," she said, diving off her platform. Everyone watched as she swam over to the platform where Ichigo was sitting and pulled herself up. "Gimme those cookies!" she said, scrambling over to the table. She pulled off the covering, and was greeted with the sight of four enormous chocolate chip cookies. With trembling fingers, she picked one up and took a good healthy bite. She groaned in pleasure.

"How's it taste?" Ichigo questioned, smirking.

"Heavenly," she replied.

The time shifted again to the two hour mark. Ichigo once again brought something else out, this time on a slightly bigger dish. He put the dish down on the small table where he'd put the cookies. Rangiku was by now sitting towards the edge of the table. "The first two people who jump in as soon as I reveal this get it," he said. Everyone looked to the dish. He pulled up the covering, revealing the biggest dish of assorted chocolates anybody had ever seen.

"Oh, my god," Rangiku said, staring at the chocolates. Those were huge!

"I'm in," Nanao said, jumping in. "I want chocolate!"

"Me too," Rukia said, jumping off her perch. They swam in to the platform, crowding around the table with a jealous-looking Rangiku. Rukia reached out and selected a round chocolate-covered strawberry. She bit into it and couldn't but smile in pleasure. Nanao laughed at the hysterical edge to her face and took a square piece of white chocolate with dark chocolate drizzled on it.

"Do ya have to look so happy while eatin' it?" Renji growled, looking away.

"Oh, forgive me, Captain Grumpypants!" Rukia called out teasingly. "Did you want a chocolate-covered strawberry too? Maybe if you asked Ichigo nicely, he'd give you some!" Ichigo flushed while the rest of the tribe snickered at that. Well, all except for Ulquiorra, who was totally focused on his task – winning immunity.

Renji rolled his eyes and didn't respond. Another hour passed before Ichigo went and got something else. This one was taller than the other had been, and also a bit skinnier. "This is for one person and one person only," Ichigo warned them. "First one in gets it." He removed the covering to reveal a heaping ice cream sundae, complete with chocolate syrup, whipped cream, nuts and a cherry on top.

"Oh, I get it!" Shinji cried, leaning forward off his platform. Perhaps he had originally intended to jump off, but he must've taken a wrong step because he just fell off less than gracefully. Still, he managed to make his way to the platform and take the ice cream, beginning to scoop it up in heaps into his rather wide mouth. Well, hey, it was finally put to good use.

"I can't take much more of watchin' them eat like that," Renji said.

"I didn't know ya liked chocolate that much, Renji," Shuhei said, frowning.

"I don't," he said. "I just wanna eat."

Another hour passed and Ichigo brought out another item. He set it down on the table and then straightened. "Okay," he said. "So here's the deal. As soon as I pull the covering off this, you all have five seconds to jump in if you want it. If no one takes it after five seconds, these four-" he pointed to Rukia, Nanao, Rangiku and Shinji, "-get it." He slowly pulled off the covering. It was a huge chocolate cake with tons of icing on it.

"Screw this, I wanna eat!" Renji said, jumping off the platform.

"Me too!" Shuhei said, joining his friend in jumping off.

Gin sighed. "I never was good with temptation," he admitted before jumping off. The three of them swam into the pontoon, their eyes wide with lust for the cake. Though there were plates and forks on the tray, Renji didn't even bother. He just dug his hands in and started eating that way. Shuhei, shrugging, do so as well. Gin at least had the decency to pick at the cake with a fork. That left Soi Fon, Ikkaku and Ulquiorra remaining on the perches.

As the three men ate their cake – and the other four eyed them jealously – Ichigo looked out to the three remaining contestants. "Soi Fon, tell me what's hurting the most?"

"My lower back," Soi Fon said. "And my knees are killing me."

"How 'bout you, Ikkaku?"

"I'm fine," he said.

After five hours, Ichigo brought out two different dishes. He set them down on the table. "There are two dishes here," he called out to the three remaining. It was now dark, and they'd had to light fires in the floating woks to keep the area well-lit. "They are the same exact dish, and are for the first two of you to jump in the water, be that in two seconds or two hours." He pulled the coverings off to reveal, by far, the best dish yet. The rest of the tribe who had already jumped in gasped. For Ichigo had revealed two very big steaks, two heaping mounds of fries, two brownies each, as well as two very large glasses of what appeared to be beer.

Ikkaku groaned, and then shook his head. "I can't do this," he said miserably and jumped off. The alcohol was just too much. Soi Fon looked to be calculating whether or not to do it. Ulquiorra didn't even look interested.

"Soi Fon, you gonna jump in?" Ichigo asked.

"Actually, I think I am," Soi Fon said. "There's no way I'm going to beat this guy. He looks pretty damn determined, if you ask me." She sighed reluctantly and jumped in, going to join Ikkaku. Ulquiorra stood up, his back popping so loudly that it was heard from the pontoon. His board fell off the back of the contraption around him and his flag raised, but none of that mattered, because he had won.

"Just like that, Ulquiorra wins the first individual immunity!" Ichigo said. As Ulquiorra came in and picked himself up off the platform, Ichigo put the sword over his shoulder. "Nicely done. You guys have tribal council tomorrow. Soon as you guys're done eating, you can head on back to camp."

* * *

The next morning found Rangiku and Rukia sitting out on the beach together, watching the clouds roll across the sky. It wasn't raining yet, but it didn't look like a very promising day, weatherwise. "Yesterday's challenge was intense," Rukia said quietly. "I never would have thought that just bending over could be so painful."

"Anything is painful if you stay in one position for a long time," Rangiku said smirking. "I can't believe that Ikkaku and Soi Fon got a steak out of that! Or that Renji and Shuhei got a cake."

"The chocolates were still pretty good," Rukia said. Then she snickered. "I still can't believe Renji set himself up for that chocolate-covered strawberry joke!"

Rangiku snorted. "Seriously, though, why do he and Ichigo get so flustered over that?" she asked.

"It was just something that happened to them both by accident," Rukia said, smirking. "Renji was calling up to Ichigo from the foot of the stairs at his house and Ichigo accidentally tripped down the stairs. Well, when he landed, he hit Renji and they collided, and accidentally ended up kissing each other!" She giggled hysterically. "Both of them got really mad about it, and they never talk about it! I mean, it was totally by accident, but they don't see that for some reason."

Rangiku burst out laughing. After a few minutes, tears were forming in her eyes. "Ohmigod," she wheezed, trying to stop. "Are you serious? That's why they were so embarrassed about the chocolate-covered strawberry thing?"

"Yeah, it's totally ridiculous," Rukia said. "But I'm never going to let them forget it."

* * *

The scene shifted to Ikkaku and Renji, wondering in the woods as they gathered firewood. After picking up several rather large sticks, Renji looked over to Ikkaku. He had been selected by their alliance to attempt to try and bring Ikkaku over to their side, especially since he knew the bald man the best. "So, Ikkaku, can I ask ya somethin'?" he started uncertainly.

"Sure," Ikkaku said, frowning. "Somethin' wrong?"

"No," Renji said quickly. "I was just wonderin'…did ya get along with anyone on your tribe?"

Ikkaku blinked, and then barked out a laugh. "Are you kiddin' me?" he asked. "Do they seem like people I'd normally talk to?" He shook his head. "I get along with Gin okay. But most of the time, I talked with Grimmjow, until he got voted off. So I don't got an alliance or anythin' if that's what you really mean." He smirked.

"Well," Renji said, trying to shrug it off. "I guess I was wonderin' 'bout that too."

"Lemme guess," Ikkaku said. "Ya want me to flip on my old tribe and go with you and the rest of the Uzukutora guys to the end."

"Well, you'd be with me, Shuhei and Soi Fon to the final four," Renji explained. "Nanao and Rangiku are out six and five."

"Shuhei's willin' to turn on Rangiku?" Ikkaku asked, raising his eyebrows. "They seemed pretty…tight…from what I've seen in the past few days."

"Well, we might hafta blindside her to get rid of her, even though he swears he gets that we gotta get rid of her eventually," Renji said. "But would you be willin' to do that?"

"Well, I certainly trust you guys a helluva lot more than I trust Rukia 'n Ulquiorra," Ikkaku admitted. "Still, it's me that's gotta do the betrayin' and me that's gotta look like a complete dipshit if betray 'em."

"I wouldn't think you were a dipshit," Renji said, snorting.

"Well, yeah, that's because you're already a fuckwad," Ikkaku said, punching Renji in the shoulder in a friendly manner. "But listen…I'll think 'bout it. I guess I'm the one everyone's gonna be comin' to with deals, huh?" He sighed. "I shoulda expected that."

* * *

"I was never really close to my tribemates over at Shireyu," Ikkaku said to the camera. "And I've known Renji and Shuhei for years, so I guess I shoulda been prepared for them tryin' to swing me over to their side. And I hafta say…it's very temptin'. I know them; I trust them." He shook his head. "I don't really know Ulquiorra or Rukia. I'm okay with Gin, but I don't trust him. No one does. Shinji's just…Shinji. Don't quite know what to say there." He sighed. "The only thing I know for sure right now 'bout what I'm doin' at tribal tonight is that I'm gonna hafta to piss _someone_ off."

* * *

Later, when Ikkaku was out by the shore, wringing the water out of his shirt as he attempted to clean it, Rukia came up and sat beside him. "So, whatcha thinking?" she asked quietly.

He looked over at her and frowned. "Whaddya ya mean?" he asked. "Ya talkin' 'bout tribal tonight?" She nodded. He shrugged. "I dunno," he admitted. "I s'ppose you and the rest of the former Shireyu people want me to go with them, right?"

She nodded again. "Well, obviously that's what we want," she said. "I mean, if you decide to betray us and flip over to the join the Uzukutora people, then we're screwed."

"I get that," he assured her. "The only problem I have is that none of you guys ever tried to include me in an alliance, and now you're comin' to me sayin' that ya really need my help. The way I see it, that puts me at five at best. I don't wanna go out at five. I'm here to win."

"I know," Rukia said, nodding. "But if it makes you feel any better, we only have an alliance to the final four. If you could somehow work out a final three or two alliance, then you're free to do that. Ulquiorra's not interested in any alliances. But the rest of us are definitely open to any possibilities."

He thought about it for a few minutes, and then shook his head. "I dunno, Rukia, I'll hafta to think 'bout it," he said. "This is pretty big decision that I'm gonna hafta to make."

"Okay," she said, standing up. "I can respect that." She walked away a few feet, and then stopped and turned back around. "Before I go…there's just one thing I wanna make sure you know. You are…aware that it was…them who voted out Yumichika, right?" His back stiffened, but he didn't turn to look at her. "If they'll vote him out, what makes you think they'll keep you?"

* * *

"It was a really low blow to bring up Yumichika to Ikkaku," Rukia admitted. "But this is a game, and I do _not _want him to turn on us just because he has friends on the other side. There is a reality in what I said. I mean, they voted Yumichika off, and they were friends with him. The only thing I care about right now is getting Ikkaku onto our side, where we can control his fate. I don't want him to take his fate into his own hands. Is that selfish?" She gave the camera a reproachful glance. "It's a game. Everyone has to decide that for themselves."

* * *

Ulquiorra and Shinji were waiting patiently over in the trees about a hundred feet away from the camp, waiting for Rukia to come and tell them how her talk with Ikkaku had gone. "D'ya think it'll work?" Shinji asked nervously.

"I do not know," Ulquiorra said. "It's difficult to say."

"Who do ya think they'll target?" Shinji questioned.

"Probably either you or Gin," Ulquiorra answered. "They cannot vote for me, and from a physical standpoint, both of you are much stronger than Rukia is."

There was silence for a moment as Rukia approached them, her arms folded over her chest and her face appearing deep in thought. Shinji immediately jumped her. "What'd he say?" he asked. "Is he gonna work with us?"

Rukia blinked at him in surprise. "I don't know," she said. "He said he'd have to think about it."

"What does your gut tell you?" Ulquiorra asked quietly.

"That he's against us," Rukia said softly.

* * *

Rukia's words about Yumichika had really gotten under Ikkaku's skin. He didn't know if they were true or not, but he intended to find out. So he hunted down Renji and Shuhei and asked them to go for a "walk" with him. Both were willing enough, though they had a look about them that suggested they knew what this was all about. When they got a good distance down the beach, Ikkaku plopped down in the sand and looked up at them.

"Okay, so I don't want any sugarcoatin' on this," he said. "I just want the truth. Why did you guys vote out Yumichika?"

Renji and Shuhei looked at each other. Renji finally sighed and turned back to his friend; he couldn't lie. Not this time. It wouldn't be fair to Ikkaku. "Because Soi Fon was startin' to get paranoid," he said. "She came up to Shuhei and said that she'd talked to him. He said that he wanted to get with ya after the merge. She felt that if you guys got together, you'd never vote each out other."

Ikkaku shrugged. "Well, that's true," he said. "So you guys didn't wanna vote him out?"

"Hell no!" Shuhei said vehemently. "It wasn't our idea. It was Soi Fon's."

"But you guys still want me to go with her in alliance?" Ikkaku asked, raising his eyebrows. "Why the hell would I do that?"

"Because we can get rid of her soon as we have the numbers," Renji said. "With the people from Shireyu, ya got a shot at the final five. With us, ya have a shot at the final three."

"Would it be every man for 'imself then?" Ikkaku asked.

"Yeah," Shuhei said.

There was silence for a moment. "I still don't know, guys," Ikkaku said, shaking his head.

"Fair enough," Shuhei said. "Still, Ikkaku, whatever ya do, outside this game, we're still your friends."

"Yeah," Ikkaku said. "Thanks."

* * *

"God dammit!" Ikkaku cursed at the camera. "He had to go and pull the 'we're still friends no matter what' shit! That really doesn't help someone in my position! If anythin', it only makes me feel more guilty." He put his head in his hands. "Honestly, I have no fuckin' idea what I'm doin'. I probably won't know until I write the name down on that goddamn piece of paper at tribal."

* * *

It was right before tribal council. They were all preparing to go. And no, Ikkaku still hadn't made his mind up yet about what to do. As they were all heading out, he noticed that Rukia was at his side. He looked down at her questioningly. "I know you probably haven't decided yet," she said quietly. "But I'm just telling you that if you do decide to go with us, we're voting for Soi Fon."

"Yeah," he said. "Okay."

She nodded once and slipped back to talk with Nanao. He sighed. What to do, what to do…it didn't help the decision that Soi Fon was the person who'd rallied to get Yumichika out of the game. His mind was telling him to go with Renji and Shuhei, because his chances were better with them, and he felt as if he could trust them. But his heart was telling to go with the former Shireyu tribe, to keep his loyalty and get revenge for Yumichika.

* * *

Only a few moments later, they were all pulling into tribal council, grim looks on their faces. Ichigo was frowning at them, which wasn't really that unusual, but tonight he seemed very stoic, as if he knew something bad was going to happen soon. As soon as they were seated, the questioning began. "So, you've reached the half-way point in this game," Ichigo said. "How does that feel, Nanao?"

"To tell you the truth, Ichigo, I'm a little surprised that I'm still here, as well as honored," she said. "I'm not a very social person, nor am I very physical, so I knew that my toughest times were going to be in the first few days as opposed to the last few. The fact that I'm still here is an accomplishment for me because I overcame my own personal odds to get here. And that makes you feel good, no matter where you end up placing."

"Well, you can say that all you want, you're still pissed if you don't win," Ichigo said reproachfully.

"Exactly," Rukia said, speaking up. "By this point, we're all starting to be able to sense this prize. I mean, merging is a giant step towards that final victory. And we all want to win, let's be honest. It's a game; we're going to do whatever it takes to win."

"Do you agree with that, Renji?" Ichigo asked. "Would you betray your best friend if it meant winning?"

"Of course not," he said. "This is just a game. If it came down to betrayin' my best friend for some fancy pass to a spa, then I'd take the friendship. I mean, I got my own loyalties."

"So here's the way I see it," Ichigo said. "We got five former Uzukutora members and five former Shireyu members. Unless one of ya flips, I'm expecting a tie. But if one person does flip, it probably increases their chances for winning. Where does that fit in?"

Ikkaku sighed. "It puts me in a very tight spot," he said. "I don't really have any loyalties to Shireyu. They didn't include me. I ain't in their alliance. But on the other hand, if I betray 'em, I look like a complete dipshit bastard who'd sell out his allies. I know Renji and Shuhei. I trust 'em. If I go over and join up with Uzukutora, then they're promisin' me at least final six. Shireyu can promise me final five." He shrugged.

"So you haven't decided what you're doing yet?" Ichigo asked.

"Of course not."

"And it's no use for any of us to try to sway him at this point," Rangiku said. "He's going to do what he thinks is best. He's got a lot more riding on this decision than any of us do. After all, if he votes with Shireyu, it's a tie. We could always hope that whoever they vote for can beat who we're voting for in an individual immunity challenge."

"And I mean, Ikkaku's got revenge to deal with too," Rukia said.

"Revenge?" Ichigo asked.

"Yeah," Rukia said. "Uzukutora voted out Yumichika, his best friend outside of this game. If it were me, I'd want to vote against them just for revenge. But I'm not him, and I can't make that decision for him." Renji was gaping at Rukia, as if he couldn't quite believe she'd said something like that. She was studiously avoiding everyone's gaze.

"But ya could do the same thing with the former Uzukutora people," Ikkaku said. "I could go with them and then try to beat 'em all to say, I went with ya, and still kicked your asses." He shook his head. "It's hard because my head's tellin' me one thing, and my heart's tellin' me another."

Ichigo nodded and stood up. "Well, with that, it's time to vote," he said. "Gin, you're up first." One by one, they all went up to vote. It was obvious that it was going to be a difficult vote, especially when Ikkaku went up and was still conflicting. Finally, he scrawled a name down and went back to sit down, not looking very happy. "I'll go get the votes," Ichigo said, going up to grab the container, bringing it back to its podium. "Once the votes have been read, the decision is final and the person voted out will be asked to leave the tribal council area immediately.

"I'll read the votes. First vote: Shinji. Next vote: Soi Fon. Shinji. Soi Fon. Shinji. Soi Fon. Shinji. Soi Fon. Shinji." He grabbed the last piece of paper out of the container. He opened it up and stared at the paper there. "Soi Fon." He sat back down. "Well, we have a tie. Here's how a tie works. Shinji and Soi Fon, you will not vote again. You're gonna get a chance in a minute to tell your tribemates why you think they should keep you. Then we're gonna vote again, either for Soi Fon or Shinji." He pointed to Shinji. "Shinji, why should these people keep you?"

"On a physical and mental level, I'd say me 'n Soi Fon're 'bout the same," he started. "And I know that tonight I'm really only pleadin' to one person. But I'm loyal, and I ain't gonna stab anybody in the back." He shrugged.

Soi Fon sighed. "I understand that the vote tonight might be partially based upon revenge," she said. "I don't blame anyone for that, and I understand if you're unable to not vote against me because of that. But, if only for the sake of my alliance, I would ask that you not let a desire for revenge cloud your judgment. This game is constantly shifting and changing. It could work out in your favor. Absolutely nothing is set in stone."

"Okay, then, it's once again, time to vote," Ichigo said. "Gin, take the pot back up, will ya?" He handed the pot over to Gin as he stood up. One by one, the eight voting members of Seikahou went up to cast their ballots. Once again, it looked to be a hard decision for Ikkaku. But he did manage to do it quicker than he had the last time. "I'll go get the votes," Ichigo said. "Once again, the vote is final, and the person voted out will have to leave immediately. Let's get to it.

"First vote: Soi Fon. Shinji. Soi Fon. Shinji. Soi Fon. Shinji. Shinji." He pulled the last note out of the container and looked at it for a second. He looked back up at the contestants. "Last vote -" he turned the piece of paper around. "Shinji. Five votes is enough, it's time to bring me your torch." Shinji sighed and stood up, bringing Ichigo his torch. "Shinji, the tribe has spoken. It's time for you to go."

Shinji turned around, and without so much as a good-bye, walked out. Ichigo turned back to the very grim-faced Seikahou tribe. "Well, that certainly showed where everyone stands in this tribe," he said, smirking. "But this game has only just gotten good. Because now, everyone you vote out will come back and have a vote in the finals to decide who wins this game. Grab your torches, head on back to camp."

And so ended episode nine.

* * *

Shinji's final words: "Well, I had a fifty-fifty shot of goin' home tonight," he said, shrugging. "I ain't really angry 'bout it. Yeah, I wanted to win, but hey, I did better 'n Hiyori, which is still a win in my book. Anyways, I got no hard feelin's. Hey, I get to eat now!"

* * *

Wow. So this was definitely the most complicated chapter I've written so far. And it's definitely the longest too, lol. But now things are going to start to get interesting. And that's why I love this TV show, lol.

Thanks again for all the reviews!! I love getting reviews, they make me happy!! And just a head's up, the updates might start to get a little bit slower just because I have to actually start working on my summer assignments, blah. Ugh, summer reading sucks, but it's better than what I have to do for AP History. Yuck. Also, I meant to put this at the beginning of the series, but I guess I blew that one, lol - if you ever have like a question about something, whether it's like about the game or just a random question, I'll try to answer it, if you like PM me or e-mail me. Other than asking who the winner is. I'm not answering that one, lol!!

That being said, don't forget about the popularity poll!! It's still open!!


	18. Episode 10

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Bleach or Survivor. I just stuck the two of them together.

**Rating: **T

**A/N: **Omg, ten tousand words for one chapter!! Holy crap!! And this chapter has so much drama...it was kinda like watching a soap opera unfold. Only I was writing it. But I like this chapter. I'm setting things up for a stellar conclusion to this game. I can't wait until you all get to see the plans I've set in motion unfold!! Lol, I feel like a frickin' puppetmaster!! Which I guess I am, lol. I wonder if I'd be any good at the real Survivor game...? Hmmm. Anyways, lol, thanks again for all the reviews!!

* * *

**Soul Reaper Survivor  
****Episode Ten – And So the Finger-Pointing Begins**

Not five minutes had passed since the Seikahou tribe had gotten back from tribal council when the accusations began, tempers flaring. Of course, it was mostly between just a few people, the others watching with wide eyes or looking away pointedly, hoping to not be drawn into the confrontation. At the moment, it was Renji and Rukia coming to blows – verbally, of course. Renji would never hit Rukia physically, though he probably wanted to at the moment.

"What the hell were ya pullin' back there, Rukia?" he demanded in a low, rough voice.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Renji," Rukia said coldly, narrowing her eyes.

"Ya know damn good 'n well what I'm talkin' 'bout!" he said. "Why the hell 're ya bringin' up Yumichika? You know that's a pretty fuckin' sore spot for every single one of us former Uzukutora people!"

"Ikkaku deserved to know the truth," she said, shrugging.

"The truth?" Renji demanded. "An' so ya threw 'em under the bus 'bout what happened to Yumichika hopin' that he'd hate us enough to vote with ya! That's not the kind of truth anyone wants to hear!"

"This is a game, Renji!" she said, her voice growing louder as the conversation grew more and more heated. "A game where you have to do anything you can to win! I did nothing against the rules! So just because I offended you doesn't mean that I did anything wrong!"

"Like hell ya did!" he yelled back at her.

Her eyes narrowed even further. "What did you say?"

"Like – hell – ya – did!" he repeated venomously, saying each word with careful precision.

"Then what, exactly, did I do wrong?" she said, her voice so carefully calculating you knew that she was just boiling inside. "Please, do enlighten me."

"God dammit, Rukia!" he swore. "Will ya stop at nothin' to win this game? It may be just a frickin' game, and ya can say that as much as ya want, but we both know it's a load of bullshit! This game gets personal, so don't ya dare try an' tell me that what ya did back there was because ya honestly wanted Ikkaku to remember that he had to get revenge on us!"

That was it; she snapped. "Just where the hell do you get off?" she demanded, snarling at him now. "Who the fuck do you think you are, telling me that I'm doing everything the wrong way? This is a game, and I'm playing it the way that I see fit! Just because you don't appreciate it doesn't mean that it's not legitimate!"

"You're right, I sure as hell don't appreciate someone who's willin' to do anythin' they have to to win this game!" he screamed at her. "I wouldn't've sold ya out for anythin', or Shuhei, or Ikkaku a one of 'em! But you're just sittin' there like a frickin' little princess, willin' to let anybody go as long as it benefits ya! Where the hell have ya gone, Rukia?"

"I'm right here, you moron!" she screamed back at him.

Ikkaku now entered the fight, apparently angered enough over having inadvertently caused it that he was willing to voice his opinions on the matter. "Seriously, just calm down-"

"Don't you dare fucking tell me to fucking calm down!" Rukia snarled at him, turning to face the other man. "This isn't your problem, so just stay the hell out of it! We wouldn't be having this conversation if you'd just voted with us!"

That was enough to set off Ikkaku. "What the fuck are ya talkin' 'bout?" he demanded viciously. "What loyalty do I possibly owe to ya, Rukia?"

"You were on our tribe!"

"An' ya never said one fuckin' word to me until ya realized that I might flip over to be with people I know I can trust!" Ikkaku yelled. "I don't owe ya one fuckin' bit, Rukia! Yeah, they voted Yumichika out, and I'm sure as hell pissed 'bout it! But now I gotta stay in here as long as I fuckin' can to get my own revenge! An' the way to doin' that ain't involvin' you this time, so get over yourself!"

"And so you're involving the great pineapple here and the dumbass Shuhei?" Rukia demanded shrilly. "Where's the logic in that?"

"BECAUSE I KNOW THEM!" Ikkaku bellowed, in a much louder voice than anything else he'd said previously. "I CAN TRUST THEM! WHICH IS MORE THAN I CAN SAY FOR YOU!" He let out a frustrated noise that was somewhere between a sigh and a growl. "It didn't work out for ya, Rukia! Just let it go!" And with that, he walked off to the shelter, several very disgruntled tribe members following him. Shuhei stalked off with Rangiku, the woman glaring daggers at Rukia as they passed – probably for calling _her _Shuhei a dumbass. A privilege she alone reserved, apparently.

Renji stared at Rukia for a moment later, letting his anger cool down. She looked a bit shocked that Ikkaku had taken his anger out on her too. She turned to Renji, her eyes wide and her face fearful. "Oh my God, Renji," she said, tears flooding her eyes. "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean –"

"Ya know what, save it," Renji spat out, turning around and walking back to the shelter. He wasn't truly angry at her – after having spent a lifetime with someone, it was hard to be angry at them – but he was sure as hell pissed off at her. It would be a while before he sent her another Christmas card. There sure as hell wasn't going to be one this year.

* * *

The next morning was dark and stormy, as if it was reflecting the huge fight that had taken place last night at camp. Rukia was curled up in a blanket on the sand; she hadn't even made it in to the shelter last night, too mortified with her actions to ask for forgiveness. Soi Fon was standing out on the beach, looking out at the crackling thunderclouds, a grim expression on her face.

* * *

"Last night was horrible," she later admitted to the camera. "I don't even know what to think. I do believe that Ikkaku had every right to be angry with Rukia. Renji…I don't know who was the right one there, but I think that Renji wasn't so much angry at her as he was upset over what she had decided to do. She's never done one thing against him in this game, other than get stuck on the opposing tribe. Was he too harsh on her?" She shook her head. "I'm not the one to judge that."

* * *

By now, Renji and Shuhei were up, sitting at the fire. Renji was staring aimlessly into the flames, dark circles under his eyes. Shuhei would send him worried glances every now and then, as if he were afraid that the other man was going to just collapse at any given moment. Finally, he decided to chance words. "Hey, Renji, man, are ya okay?" he asked hesitantly.

"Do I look fuckin' fine to you?" Renji asked, looking up at Shuhei irritably. He sighed. "Sorry, didn't mean to snap at ya. I'm just…irritated right now."

Shuhei nodded and looked away, sensing that the other hand didn't want to talk about it. Rangiku – having woken up a few minutes earlier – wisely came over and grabbed Shuhei's hand, taking him away from Renji and over to the woods, where they could speak in private. "I don't think you should really talk to him right now," she said worriedly, looking over in their mutual friend's direction.

"Why not?" Shuhei asked, puzzled.

"He…he just needs his space right now," Rangiku murmured. "She's his best friend, Shuhei. How would you feel if you felt as if your best friend had betrayed you, and then they denied it right to your face? That's harsh."

He sighed. "I never really thought that he might think she'd betrayed him," he said thoughtfully. "But what exactly did she do that set him off?"

She made an amused noise in the back of her throat. "Don't you see it, Shuhei?" she asked.

"See what?" he asked, confused.

She rolled her eyes. "He loves her," she said simply. "Whether it's just brother-sister love or something more, I don't know, but you can't deny that he loves her. He was willing to defy Captain Kuchiki to try to save her. That's probably the most boneheadedly stupid thing I've ever seen anyone do. And when somebody you love does something that you don't expect, it hurts. Sometimes," she broke off, looking somewhat uncomfortable. After a minute or two of silence, she finished. "Sometimes, it feels like a betrayal, just because they did something that you never would've expected."

"Ya sound like you're talkin' from experience," he pointed out softly.

"Do I?" she asked, looking up at him, surprised. "Huh. Well, I guess I am." She remembered suddenly the days of her childhood, on that day when Gin had found her, lying there, starving, and had offered her a piece of food. Then he'd gone and left her. He hadn't come back. And when he finally did, it was only for a little while. He'd loved her, she knew that, but he hadn't been willing to stay with her for more than a little bit at a time. It had nearly broken her.

He smiled back at her, equally as sad, and kissed her gently on the forehead before pulling her into his chest. She willingly fell into the embrace. "I'll never do what he did to ya," he assured her, whispering fiercely in her ear.

She chuckled. "I'll hold you to that."

* * *

Rukia had woken up by now. Ulquiorra had gently shaken her awake and then taken her on a walk down the beach a ways, to a spot where no one would overhear their conversation. For a while, they had sat in silence. She was still fiercely covered up with her blanket, looking as if she'd just barely survived a blizzard. Well, to be fair, she probably had – an emotional blizzard, anyways.

"Are you alright?" he asked quietly.

She looked over at him with tired eyes. She looked terribly guilty. "No," she said. "I'm not alright. My best friend outside this game hates me, and I don't even know what I did to make him so upset. How would you feel?" She glared at him, too tired to even raise her voice.

He shrugged. "I would not know," he admitted. "I do not have a best friend, so obviously I cannot know the situation you are in."

"You don't have a best friend?" she asked, incredulously. "Everyone has a best friend."

"You cannot have a best friend if you do not have any friends," he stated. What bothered Rukia was how _un_bothered Ulquiorra seemed by the admission he'd just given. She shook her head. Seeing her movement, he turned to gaze at her questioningly. "Is something the matter?"

"You have friends," she said firmly.

"Who?" he asked, blinking.

"Well, I'm your friend," she said without thinking. He blinked again. "After all this time that we've spent out here together on this island, scheming and just trying to survive, do you really think that we could _not _be friends?"

"That makes us friends?" he asked thoughtfully.

"Yes!" she said fervently. "So as my friend, I need your help in deciding how to solve my current fix with Renji."

"Hmmm," he said. "A friend…that was something I did not expect to come out of this particular experience with." He shrugged. "Well, then, as your friend, I guess I could try to help you."

* * *

Later on, Renji and Ikkaku were out on the rocks watching as Gin fished in the bay. They weren't really talking and the weather was killing any hopeful mood that might've existed. Finally, Renji sighed and switched his position, leaning back on his elbows. "Aw, shit," he said. "This is killin' me."

"What s' matter?" Ikkaku asked, rubbing at his eyes with one of his hands.

"I feel bad for yellin' at Rukia like that last night," the red-head admitted, looking up at the clouds in disdain. "I don't think I was wrong…but I still feel like absolute shit right now."

Ikkaku snorted. "God,_ I_ feel bad for yellin' at her, and I ain't got no reason to feel bad," he said. He looked over at his friend. "But…I gotta ask ya…what exactly are ya upset 'bout?"

"It's just…the Rukia that I knew, that I grew up with, put so much more value on friendship than she did on herself," Renji said. "I mean…she cared more 'bout the little kids 'round Rukongai and even me and our friends than she did herself. She put us first. It…it jus' hurts seein' someone that ya thought would act one way act another."

"It _is_ a game, Renji," Ikkaku said quietly.

"I know that," Renji said, rolling his eyes. "But I can't seem to make myself think that way. I hafta to act based on how I live my life. An' I know it ain't fair of me to assume that everyone else will too. But Rukia…I thought she'd act like I was plannin' on actin'. Ya know?"

Ikkaku nodded. "I get what you're sayin'," he said. "An' I agree that I don't think you're really wrong. But I do think ya might wanna apologize, or else ya might end up regrettin' this entire experience later on."

* * *

Later on that day, Soi Fon and Nanao went to check the mailbox. No one was really looking forward to a challenge, seeing as how the mood around camp was dismal and no one had made any steps to apologize just yet. It was people like Soi Fon and Nanao that suffered because they had no part in the fighting, and yet had to be subject to its consequences. Man, so far life at Seikahou beach royally sucked.

They had reached the mailbag. Nanao reached down into the box and pulled out what appeared to be a rope spider web. They both frowned, but didn't say anything until they brought it and the message that had accompanied it back to their camp. "We have a challenge, you guys," Nanao announced once everyone had gathered round. She unfurled the piece of paper and read it aloud. "'Twisted up, hanging down, your senses are a jumble. Go through the steps in order and don't make a fumble. One, two, three, four; did you learn to count? If you want to eat tonight, the competition you must surmount.'"

"Hanging down?" Rangiku asked, frowning. "What, are they going to hang us upside down by our ankles and tickle us until we give?"

Nanao smirked. "I sincerely doubt that," she said. "But it does seem like we're going to be all tangled up, in rope."

* * *

Only a few moments later, the tribe was coming in for their first individual reward challenge. Ichigo was waiting for them, along with nine very intimidating looking contraptions hanging from the branches of trees all around them. On the ground below the trees were large cushions, in nine different colors. They all gathered on the mat, looking up curiously. Ichigo smirked at their curious expressions. "You guys ready for your first individual reward challenge?" he asked.

"Let's do this," Shuhei said, grinning.

"Okay, then, this one is rather difficult," Ichigo continued. "Each of you are gonna be tied up in one of these nets, hanging upside down. Each net has a series of colored, numbered ropes entwined throughout it that is holding the net together. You're gonna have to pull these ropes out, undoing the knots that keep them tied onto the main net, as you go. You must pull the ropes in order, or you'll mess everything up. There are ten of these ropes in all. Once you've released the tenth rope, you'll fall down into the cushions beneath you.

"Before you pull the last rope, make sure that you have all your ropes either in your hands or already on the cushions below you," he went on. "When you're done, bring me all the ropes. If you have all ten, you'll win. If you're missing one, you're out, because you obviously can't get back up into the trees by yourself. Make sense?" Everyone nodded. "Now, I know ya wanna know what you're playing for."

"Hell yeah," Ikkaku said.

"The winner will be taken away by boat to a resort that is on the edge of the South Rukon Sea," he said. "That's right, you'll be heading out to actual land. While you're there, you'll get a hot shower, whatever you want off the menu, and you'll be spending the night. Worth playing for?" Everyone nodded. "Okay, wait just a minute and we'll get you guys up into the nets."

After a few moments, everyone was safely ensconced in their nets. Some people looked perfectly comfortable, while others looked terrified. Ichigo was waiting patiently at the mat, looking up at them with a mixture of amusement and anxiety – hey, it would certainly look bad for him if someone died on the show. "Survivors, ready…GO!" he called out.

Immediately, everyone began to search for the knots to untie their first ropes. Some people had to curl up to where their ankles were – attached to the net by the final rope – while some merely had to reach out and pull. Shuhei and Renji were the first to get their first ropes free, followed by Ikkaku and Soi Fon. Ulquiorra and Gin were close behind.

After twisting his spine around in a move that made Ichigo wince, Renji was able to free his second and third ropes in one swoop. But then Ichigo's attention was elsewhere as Rangiku fell to her pink cushions with a shriek. Once she sat up, looking somewhat angry, she sighed and walked over to where Ichigo was. "I pulled the damn fifth rope instead of the second," she said as a way of explanation. Ichigo shrugged and merely pointed to the bench that was on the ground next to him.

Returning his attention to the skies, Ichigo found that Ulquiorra had caught up with Renji, and were both currently tied with four ropes. Shuhei, Ikkaku and Gin were right behind with three. Soi Fon quickly joined them, yanking her third rope from below her head. Nanao was working very gingerly, as if she were afraid that she'd fall out at any second and kill herself on her dark blue cushions. She must be afraid of heights, Ichigo finally decided.

Renji reached up and pulled out his fifth rope in one fluid movement, letting it fall to the ground beneath him. He then immediately went in for his sixth rope, which was conveniently right to his left. Ulquiorra unfortunately, had to go all the way up to his ankles for his fifth rope, which cost him valuable time. Suddenly, Rukia screamed and fell to her lavender cushions, looking both very confused and very scared. Ichigo looked up at her net. Huh. She'd just fallen out.

Rukia quickly came over to join him and Rangiku, visibly shaking. "I just fell out of the net," she said. "I didn't pull a rope out of order or anything." Ichigo looked her over; she did practically resemble a skeleton. Her black hair wasn't even its normal shape anymore. It was kinda…droopy. Her bikini was practically falling off. She looked pretty pitiful, he'd give her that. He looked over at Rangiku to see if she was the same way. Well…she did look a bit too skinny, but she still had her curves, so she probably wasn't faring as badly as Rukia.

He looked back up at the skies. Renji was on rope number eight now, Ulquiorra close behind at seven. It looked to be a race between those two at the moment. Nanao was just hanging there, looking too scared to actually move. Her hands were tangled in the rope as if her life depended upon it. Renji pulled his ninth rope then. Heeding, Ichigo's advice, he pushed all of the red ropes that he'd pulled out onto the cushions below him, and then counted how many there were – nine. Excitedly, he reached up and pulled the last few knots through on the ropes holding his ankle, making sure to not let go of the final red rope when he was through.

He fell to the red cushions with a cry on his back, momentarily knocking the wind from him. But Ulquiorra was hot on his tail, so he picked himself up and gathered up the ropes. After half-running, half-walking over to Ichigo, he put all the ropes on the table and separated them out. Ichigo counted them, coming up with all ten ropes. "Renji wins reward!" he said. At once, all activity up in the skies ceased. "Hold on you guys and we'll get ya outta there!"

In just a few minutes, everyone had been safely restored to their places on the ground. Renji was standing over near Ichigo, instead of over with the rest of Seikahou, breathing heavily and looking quite pleased. Ichigo looked over at Renji and smirked. "Nicely done," he said. "But of course…you know that going on such a great reward alone would be no fun." Renji groaned, knowing where this was going. "Pick two people to go with you."

Renji sighed and lowered his head, scratching his head as he thought. "I'm gonna hafta to go with Shuhei, for one," he said. "He's been with me since day one." Shuhei grinned and walked over, smacking his fist against Renji's as he moved beside him. Renji looked up now at the rest of the Seikahou tribe; some were looking at him with pleading eyes. Others didn't seem to have too much hope. But Rukia…she was completely looking the other direction, as if she didn't want to go. He sighed. "I'm gonna hafta to take Ikkaku," he decided. Ikkaku did a repeat of Shuhei's excited reaction, and moved over to join his two friends.

Ichigo nodded. "Alright, you guys can head on down to the beach where a boat's waiting for ya," he said. "For the rest of ya, I got nothing. Go ahead and head on back to camp."

* * *

Back at the Seikahou beach, Rukia was once again moping out on the beach, just staring out into the waves blankly, not really seeing much of anything. Rangiku, who was back at camp, finally sighed and went down to the beach, sitting down beside Rukia and putting an arm around the other woman's thin shoulders. Rukia stiffened at the contact, and tried to pull away, but Rangiku was much stronger than her at this point.

"Please, Rangiku, just leave me alone," Rukia said.

"No," Rangiku said. "I'm not going to leave you alone, because you're going to tell me what has you so upset."

Rukia snorted. "You know what has me upset," she said. "Renji hates me, Ikkaku thinks I'm a horrible person, I called Shuhei a dumbass and now all three of them are on a reward together, probably plotting to get me sent home."

"Well, if it makes you feel any better, Shuhei didn't take it personally," Rangiku said quietly. "Everyone calls him a dumbass. He realizes that you were upset." She took a deep breath, getting ready to breach the harder topics. "And Renji doesn't hate you, Rukia."

"Yes, he does!" Rukia said, her voice shooting up a couple octaves. "Didn't you hear him last night? We've never had such a bad fight, not in all the time we've been friends! He's never yelled at me like that, and I've never gone off at him like that either. I feel so horrible, but I don't even know what I did wrong!" She looked over at Rangiku, tears forming in her wide violet eyes.

Rangiku sighed and pulled the other woman closer to her. "Rukia," she said softly. "Have you ever had someone that you know very well do something that you would never have expected them to do?" When she got no answer, she continued. "Sometimes, it feels like a betrayal, even when they didn't actually do anything to betray you."

"And you think that's why Renji's mad at me?" Rukia asked. "Because I did something he didn't expect? That's so immature."

"Not really," Rangiku disagreed. "If he saw it as a betrayal, then perhaps it was a bit naïve of him. But this is Renji we're talking about." That drew a watery laugh from the small woman. "Still, he feels that you betrayed him because you are obviously playing this game much harder than he is. I think that he thought you and he would play this game in a similar fashion."

"But, he didn't ask me before it started, or anything about what I planning on doing!" Rukia protested. "That's not fair to me!"

"Life isn't fair, Rukia," Rangiku said. "And you know men, always assuming, making asses out of themselves. But I don't know anything that's going on in Renji's mind. You're going to have to ask Renji that if you want to find out. I suggest that you apologize to him, and to Ikkaku."

"Yeah, I feel bad about Ikkaku especially," Rukia admitted. "He was only trying to calm us both down and I just let him have it too." She sighed, wiping at her eyes. "I just feel like such an idiot."

Rangiku laughed. "We've all felt that way before," she said. "But trust me on this one, okay? Do something now, before it's too late. You and Renji have too deep of a friendship to give up because of one misunderstanding."

* * *

Meanwhile, Renji, Ikkaku and Shuhei were currently cruising on a boat towards this fancy spa that Ichigo had mentioned. Ikkaku and Shuhei were joking around, and sometimes Renji would join in, but most of the time he was too preoccupied with thinking about his current fix with Rukia to join in. Eventually, they reached the resort. It was indeed a very nice sight to see, especially to people who hadn't been in civilization for several weeks now.

They got off the boat and walked up excitedly to the front room, where two woman in flowery, draping clothes were waiting to take them up to the room they were sharing tonight. Inside were two large beds draped in red silk sheets. The entire room was very sanguine, with the main colors being burgundy and black. Once they made their way into the bathroom, it was revealed that they now had toothbrushes, soap, shampoo, deodorant and all kinds of things to use to clean themselves up. Since he had won the challenge – and because he had the most hair – Renji took the first shower. While he was cleaning up, Shuhei and Ikkaku were talking in the main part of the living room.

"Man, this thing with Rukia is really tearin' him up, ain't it?" Ikkaku asked, jerking his head back towards the bathroom door.

Shuhei nodded. "I ain't never seen Renji so frickin' depressed like this," he said. "Except maybe when she was in prison 'bout to be executed. It's kinda sad, really."

"Geez, we gotta these two back to rights with each other," Ikkaku said, shaking his head. "I'm gonna go insane if they stay this way for much longer."

Shuhei snorted. "Yeah, you're right there," he said. "But how? In case ya ain't noticed, they ain't really doin' much talkin' right now."

"Dumbass," Ikkaku muttered. "We just gotta convince Renji that he needs to talk to Rukia."

Shuhei opened his mouth to speak, but suddenly the bathroom door, Renji coming out with a towel around his waist and his hair dripping wet across his shoulders. He stopped and looked at the two of them in surprise. "Um…were ya sayin' somethin'?" he asked.

"Nah, it was nothin'," Shuhei said, standing up and moving to take his own shower. He closed the door behind a still not-moving Renji. Renji blinked once, then shook his head and moved into the area where the beds were, his hair dripping water as he went. Ikkaku waited until he heard his friend put some clothes on before going in to join him.

"Ya were talkin' 'bout me 'n Rukia, weren't ya?" Renji asked when he heard Ikkaku's quiet footsteps on the carpet. He was currently staring at the mirror, attempting to do something to tame his unruly mass of hair. "Damn, my hair's a wreck," he added to himself.

"You're such a broad, the way ya go on and on 'bout your hair," Ikkaku said, chuckling. Renji irritatedly gave him the finger, which only made the bald man laugh even harder. Finally, Renji gave up trying to put it in its usual spiky ponytail and just left it loose. Ikkaku stared at him. The man before him – who was normally so full of life and vivacious – had dark circles under his eyes and looked about as sad as Ikkaku'd ever seen a man. He sighed. Renji turned to look at him.

"What's wrong?" the red-head asked.

"Ya just don't look very good, Renji," Ikkaku said, shaking his head. He turned his head slightly when he heard the bathroom door open once again. "Well, 's my turn now." He nodded once and headed for the bathroom while Shuhei made his way to the bedroom, already dressed in his normal clothes. His hair, though was another story – it was currently plastered to his face, obscuring his vision a bit. He walked over to the mirror and inspected his hair.

"Shit!" he proclaimed upon seeing himself. "My hair ain't been this long since I was in the Academy!" He was, of course, talking about his time in the Soul Reaper Academy, when he'd kept his hair longer (**A/N: And better looking, in my opinion**). He irritably pushed it up off his forehead, running his hands through it to spike it up. He looked over at Renji and saw how long the other man's hair had gotten. "Ya need a trim yourself, Renji."

Renji looked down at his ruby-colored locks. "Yeah, guess you're right," he said. "Doesn't seem this long when it's pulled up." They made small talk while Ikkaku was in the shower, and then the three of them left for dinner. Of course, dinner happily included a bar, though all they served here was sake. Still, that was enough for the three of them. All of them ordered several courses of food, wanting to eat as much as possible before they absolutely couldn't take in any more. And of course, they all got sufficiently hammered.

When they made it back to their room, they all crashed on the couches in the living room, giggling at themselves. And of course, drunken inhibitions were slight to none. "So, Renji, what's the deal wi' ya an' Rukia?" Shuhei asked, pointing a finger at the other man – though the finger didn't manage to stay still.

"Whaddya mean?" Renji, obsessed with staring at the ceiling tiles.

"Ya like her?" Shuhei asked, finally letting his finger drop to his lap.

"Like like like her?" Renji asked, bringing his head down to stare stupidly at his friend.

"Yeah," Shuhei said, smiling like an idiot.

"The way ya like Rangiku?" Renji asked.

"Uh huh," Shuhei said.

"I dunno," Renji said, thinking hard. "Do I?"

Ikkaku pointed at him and laughed, nearly falling over in his glee. "Yer drunk, Renji!" he proclaimed.

Renji glared at him. "So're ya, ya idiot," he said. He pushed himself up off the chair and stumbled into the bedroom, where he managed to fall flat onto one of the beds and promptly go to sleep. Shuhei and Ikkaku looked at each other and then burst out laughing. Once they were done, they stared at each other.

"So who gets th' oth'r bed?" Shuhei asked, standing up.

"Me," Ikkaku said, moving towards the room.

Shuhei was too drunk to argue. "Okay," he said. "Gimme the couch." And he reached out to grab something, as if someone was going to put a couch in his hands. Ikkaku laughed at him again, his mirth not ceasing when the man fell face forward onto the couch and instantly started snoring. As it was he barely made it into the bedroom and over to the other bed before crashing himself.

* * *

When the three musketeers came back from their reward the next morning, they all were very sober and very quiet, all nursing their own hangovers. Ikkaku's was the worst, though he was also the most used to it, and was thus dealing with it suitably. He went off on his own and burrowed down in the sand near the beach, sleeping it off. Shuhei at least went back to cuddle with Rangiku in the shelter, dozing on and off. Renji, however, was in no mood to sleep. There was only one thing on his mind. As soon as he set down his stuff, his eyes searched for Rukia.

Everyone claimed that she'd gone off down the beach to be by herself. With a sigh, he walked out of camp and started off down the beach, searching for her while trying to push his hair out of his face irritably. Unfortunately, his last hair band had broken at the resort. So he was stuck with his hair down for the rest of the game. Wonderful. Finally, after about ten minutes of walking, he found Rukia sitting under the shade of a palm tree, hugging her knees to her chest.

She heard him coming. She pulled her head off her knees and stared at him with wary eyes, not knowing if he was coming to her for a good or bad reason. For a minute, he just stared at her, and then he sat down in the sand next to her. An awkward silence ensued, until Rukia finally broke it. "Your hair is down," she said.

"The tie broke," he said. For another moment or so they refused to meet each other's eyes, looking around guiltily at the sand. Then –

"Renji, I'm so sorry!"

"God, I'm sorry!"

They blinked at each other.

"Oh, my bad. You first."

"Ya can say what ya want first."

They blinked again, and then Rukia sighed as Renji swore irritably. "Okay," she said quietly. "I'll go first." He nodded. "Look Renji, I'm really sorry that you think that I…betrayed you in some way. It's just that I didn't see what I was doing wrong. It's taken me a day or so to figure it out, and I had some help. And I understand that you think the way that I'm playing the game is wrong, that I would stop at nothing to win. But that's not true."

"Well, it certainly seems that way to me," Renji said bluntly.

She winced. "Renji, I would never backstab you, or betray you on purpose," she said. "You're my best friend, my oldest friend. I was only doing what I did to try and save myself in this game, and it failed. I get that. And I understand that I'm probably going home soon. But you have to know that I didn't mean to do anything that was going to make you feel that way."

He paused for a moment. When she didn't speak again, it was his turn. "Okay, I'm gonna say a few things, and I just want ya to listen," he said. She nodded. "I don't like the way you're playin' this game, mainly because I don't agree with it. But I get that it's not my decision and everyone has to play their own way. I know that I was bein' stupid for thinkin' that ya were gonna play the exact same way I was – the way I live my life outside this game – and that it ain't fair to ya. But I have no respect for the way you're doin' things around here.

"Now, I ain't mad at ya," he said, sensing that tears were forming in her eyes. "Ya didn't do anythin' wrong, like ya said. Ya upset me, but I can get over that. I got upset with ya when ya used to make snide comments 'bout my hair." He cracked a smile at her. "I know that we're playin' very different games, and that ya play for keeps. Unfortunately, we don't fit in with each other's plans and we gotta do what we gotta do for ourselves. But outside this game, we're still friends and there ain't gonna be no hard feelin's. At least, not on my side."

She waited for only a minute before throwing herself at him and hugging him fiercly. He grunted in shock as he was pushed down on his back. "I'm so, so, so, so, so sorry, Renji ," she said, her words muffled because she pressed against his chest. "Can you forgive me?"

"Of course, idiot," he said, smiling.

She punched him lightly in the stomach. "I'm not an idiot," she said, though her heart wasn't in the words, or the punch.

He rolled his eyes and then lightly pushed her off him, standing up. He offered her a hand up. She took it willingly. "Now, let's go back to camp," he said. "This sand's startin' to drive me insane."

* * *

Rangiku and Shuhei were out on the beach, lounging on the sand. She had her head in his lap, and he was, once again, playing idly with her hair. He loved her hair; it was long and beautiful, like strands of molten gold. It didn't even look that dirty, considering that she scrubbed it with sand every day. And it was so soft.

"I'm glad that Renji and Rukia made up," Rangiku murmured, her eyes closed. "It's so much easier around camp now."

"Yeah," he agreed. "If they'd been like that for much longer I think I woulda gone insane." He chuckled. "I woulda run away."

"And left me here all alone to deal with it?" she asked, opening her very blue eyes. "That's not very nice." She frowned at him.

"I woulda taken ya with me, of course," he said, shrugging. "We'd have gone somewhere far away."

"Where?" she asked, giggling.

"The world of the livin'," he decided. "To a place with decent music and lots of alcohol."

"Oh, I like that idea," she said, smiling. "But where would we live?"

"We'd both get jobs an' buy a house somewhere," he stated. "I could be a bartender, and you could be my waitress."

"Would you make me wear something naughty?" she asked, giggling again.

"Maybe," he said, smirking. "But only in private."

"Ah, you don't want to share me with the customers?" she asked, pouting.

"No," he growled, bending over to kiss her. "You're mine."

* * *

"Rangiku's such a tease," Shuhei revealed to the camera. "We spend hours out here just comin' up with impossible scenarios of things we know we'll never do. Like the runnin' off to the world of the livin' an' bein' a bartender and waitress." He snorted. "There's nothin', absolutely nothin', to do out here, so we gotta find some way to pass the time." He shrugged. "Me 'n her, we talk a lot. Sometimes we go for walks on the beach, sometimes we go swimmin'. We just like spendin' time together. And it ain't always just the two of us. Other people come along too."

* * *

Rangiku was sitting alone out on the rocks. It was almost dark and the sound of the waves crashing against the beach was somehow soothing to her. She had her legs swinging over the side of the cliff, and her hands were gripping the edge. It was so peaceful right now. She wanted it to stay like this forever. Suddenly, she felt a presence behind her. She moved her eyes to the sides, but she didn't turn her head. "What do you want, Gin?" she asked, her voice hard.

He stopped right behind her. "Want?" he asked, sounding surprised. "I don't want anything. Can't I just come to talk to you?" He sat down beside her, crossing his legs and propping his head up on his hand. He was smirking, as usual, his silvery hair flopping down into his eyes.

She sighed. "Let me rephrase it, then," she said. "What did you want to talk to me about?"

He waited a moment; his next words were very blunt. "It's me to go next, isn't it?" he asked quietly. She turned to look at him, frowning. "I understand why. I'm the next strongest, after Ulquiorra, and there's a good chance he'll win immunity."

"Gin," she started.

"You don't have to give me a reason," he said, looking out at the water. "I already know why."

"If you know that, then why are you coming to talk to me?" she asked.

"Because I wanted to give you options," he said, his smirk growing.

"Options?"

"Yes," he drawled. "Within your alliance, you don't have many of those, do you?" He chuckled. "Shuhei and Renji are the ones who call the shots there, right? And Soi Fon's in on it too. That's makes you fourth. But don't you want to win?"

"What are you saying, Gin?" she asked, frowning.

"Keep me, and get rid of Rukia tomorrow night," he suggested. "Say something to Shuhei about how you want revenge on me. Something petty would work. Once Rukia is gone, if Ulquiorra wins immunity again, then I can get him to vote with you and Nanao to get someone out."

"But that would still be a tie," she pointed out.

"Then you'd need to do some insinuating to Soi Fon that Renji, Shuhei and Ikkaku will never vote each other out," he said deviously. "She doesn't trust any of them. Or, if you want, get Shuhei to vote her out."

She sighed and shook her head. "I don't know, Gin," she said. "You want me to lie to Shuhei?"

"It's not lying," he said. "It's just giving yourself options."

* * *

Seikahou pulled up to the next immunity challenge in much greater spirits than they had for the reward. Ichigo was waiting for them, once again. "What's up guys?" he asked, smirking. "You ready for today's challenge?" Everyone nodded. "Okay, then, first things first, Ulquiorra, I'll need that back." He pointed to the immunity sword and stepped forward to retrieve it. Ulquiorra willingly handed it over and then put it back on its peg. "Immunity is back up for grabs.

"Today's challenge is designed to test how much you can take before you give in to pain," he said, grinning. "You are each gonna be lying on your back, on a slightly elevated board that leads to a large pool of water. While you're lying there, you have two handles on either side of you for you to hold on with. But while you're lying there, you are gonna have to pull on a rope that is just above your head. Every five minutes, you'll pull the rope, gradually pulling out a cork. Once you pull the rope the first time, water is gonna to flow from the barrel that the cork's stopping up. The more you pull the rope, the more water is gonna be released.

"Each of you has a specific board this time," he continued. "The holes have been made at exactly the right level to hit you right on your forehead, no matter how hard the stream of water is. That's the pain part. When you've had enough, let go of the handles and you'll fall into the water, out of the challenge. Last one remaining wins immunity. Make sense?" Again, everyone nodded. "Okay then, look for the board with your name on it, and hop up."

Once everyone was in place on their boards, Ichigo sat down on his stool by the side of the pool of water. "Okay, everybody pull your ropes until you feel it catch on the first notch," he instructed. Everyone reached up and pulled on their corks before placing their hands firmly on the handles. The sound of rushing water insantly filled the area. "This challenge is on."

A half hour passed before anything happened. Every five minutes, they'd pulled the cork out some more until it was eventually out completely. Some people were handling it better than others. Ulquiorra didn't move at all unless he had to pull the rope, but now that the cork was out, it wasn't an issue. Rangiku, however, was squirming. "What's the matter, Rangiku?" Ichigo asked. "It's hot out here; that water should feel nice."

"My whole forehead is numb," she moaned. "It's like a massive brainfreeze."

"Only you don't get the taste of ice cream to take away from the pain," Rukia added with a grim smile. "That's the worst part."

"I didn't know they had ice cream in Soul Society," Ichigo said thoughtfully.

"Yeah, they introduced it a few years back," Rangiku said, smirking. "Captain wanted it." There were snickers at that, including Ichigo.

Another few minutes passed, and then someone sighed. Ichigo looked around to see who it was. It was Nanao, a resigned look on her face. "I can't do this anymore," she said. "My back feels like it's on fire." She reluctantly let go of the handles and slid down into the water below. For a few moments, she was completely submerged, and then she popped up, her hair slicked back and her glasses beaded with water. She lazily swam over to the side and hopped out, though she kept her legs in the water.

Rangiku was out only a few minutes later, nursing her wrists and her lower back. She swam over and joined Nanao. Like the other woman, she kept her feet submerged in the cool, dark water. Ichigo looked over at them. "Do you know how hot it is today?" he asked innocently.

"No, Ichigo, how hot is it?" Nanao asked, playing along.

"One hundred and ten degrees," he said happily. "And it's only gonna get hotter as the day goes on."

"Shut up, bastard," Renji muttered. Ichigo snickered.

Right about the one hour mark was when the strain started to show on most of the bigger guys. Obviously, they had more mass to hold up with just two little handles. Renji, Shuhei and Ikkaku were showing the most signs of strains. Renji was trembling, gritting his teeth as he tried to keep himself up. Ikkaku was much the same, only he was clenching his jaw together hard enough to make veins pop out on his neck. Shuhei was just breathing heavily.

"So who're you betting on to win this challenge?" Ichigo asked conversationally to the two women sitting next to him.

Nanao pushed her glasses up and surveyed the remaining contestants. "I would say either Soi Fon or Ulquiorra," she said quietly. "I haven't seen either of them move in a long time." Rangiku nodded in agreement.

"We'll see," was Ichigo's only comment.

About five more minutes passed, and then Renji and Shuhei tumbled into the water. Ikkaku followed only about a minute later. "Just like that, all three big guys are out," Ichigo said. All three heads came out of the water at about the same time, and they all started to swim to the edge. Rangiku and Nanao made room for the three of them on the ledge. Shuhei took a seat next to Rangiku, lazily intertwining their fingers. Renji merely began to fix his hair, pulling it into a very lazy braid. Ikkaku just looked pissed. But what else was new?

Another hour passed before anything else happened. Gin had started to have the same problems that the other men had faced. He was now slipping and sliding on his board, attempting to find a position that was comfortable. But by now, nothing was comfortable. Every part of his body burned and ached. With a final sigh, he let go and slid into the water. A half an hour later, Rukia suffered the same fate, her small arms just unable to hold up any more.

Once again, it was down to Soi Fon and Ulquiorra. Both were still staying strong, Soi Fon only moving every now and then, Ulquiorra not moving at all. "Haven't we seen this situation before?" Ichigo joked from the sidelines, drawing wry smiles from all of those who had already dropped out. Soi Fon looked over at Ulquiorra. She knew instantly from his posture that there was no way that he was giving up. But this wasn't the last challenge, either; there was no incentive for her to let go, other than to relieve the dull pain that was constantly blossoming on her forehead.

"Ulquiorra, you're pretty good at these endurance challenges," Ichigo noted from the sidelines. "What makes ya keep going all this time? You have to be hurting by now."

"If I slip up now, I will be going home tonight," Ulquiorra stated calmly. "And I am not ready to go home yet. That is why I will not quit. You do not quit. Never give up, never surrender, never admit defeat (**A/N: this bring back memories of Rupert for anybody, lol? Yeah…I didn't come up with that. Totally Rupert from Pearl Islands/All-Stars**)."

Ichigo shrugged. "What about you, Soi Fon?" he asked. "How much more you got in ya?"

"One more minute than he does," she answered simply, drawing some laughs from the sidelines.

Another hour passed in silence, neither of the two moving one iota. They were perfectly poised on their boards. Ichigo firmly believed that this might go all day if one of them didn't slip. He looked up at the sky and sighed in slight frustration; this was incredibly boring, you had to know. But then he heard a loud splash, followed by another. He looked down instantly, cursing himself for missing it. Who was in first??

Soi Fon surfaced first, a sour expression on her face. She swam over to the side, pulling herself out of the water easily and crossing her arms over her chest, looking somewhat pissed off. Ichigo deduced from that that Ulquiorra had won again. By now, Ulquiorra had made it over to the side, where the others were offering their congratulations and good job's.

Ichigo stood up and went over to retrieve the immunity…thing (**A/N: It's not a necklace like usual…it's like what they had in Pearl Islands. Anybody got a good name for it other than immunity sword, lol?**). He brought it over and once again put it over Ulquiorra's shoulder. "Ulquiorra, congrats. You're the only one safe at tonight's tribal council. For the rest of you, one of you is going home tonight. I'll see you guys later."

* * *

Back at camp, Rangiku found herself in an interesting predicament. She had to think about what Gin had said to her earlier. It was true that she was on the outskirts of her alliance, and that the best time to make a move was sooner rather than later. But in order to do that, they needed to get rid of Rukia tonight. The question was…would her tribe be willing to do that? What excuse could she possibly come up with to get her tribe to vote out a weaker physical threat?

She didn't trust Gin. She'd forgiven him for what he'd done to her years ago, and accepted the fact that he must have fears of commitment. They were friends, even if it was a very loose friendship. It wasn't like she had her own personal vendetta to settle with him. And she knew that he was right about the fact that he didn't have any true allegiances to anybody. Gin worked for himself, and everybody knew that.

She jumped a bit when she felt a warm hand placed on her shoulder. She looked up to see Shuhei smiling at her. "Whatcha thinkin' 'bout?" he asked. "Ya look pretty intense."

She smiled back and gently took his hand off her shoulder, placing her hand in it. "Come here," she said. "Let's go for a walk." He nodded willingly enough. Once they were a suitable distance away from prying ears, she said, "I was just thinking about the vote tonight. It's Gin, isn't it?"

"We hadn't really discussed it yet, but that was the idea, I think," he said quietly. "Why? You don't like it?"

She took a deep breath, preparing herself for what she was getting into. "I don't want to get rid of him just yet," she said. "He's still useful. Rukia isn't; she's outstayed her welcome, if you ask me."

He blinked. "This isn't 'bout her callin' me a dumbass, is it?" he asked, frowning. "Cause I really don't give a flyin' fuck 'bout that, Rangiku."

"No, it's not that," she said, waving a hand in dismissal. "Think about it. What if we need someone later on to help us out of a tricky situation? Gin is willing to turn on anybody as long as it helps him out. You know what he's like. He's slippery as a snake. Always has been. Rukia wants to turn the odds in her favor. She's the most dangerous one of the two. If she manages to get just two or three people to her side, we're done for."

He thought about it for a moment. "Yeah, you're right there," he said. "But how do we convince the others to vote for Rukia?"

"Nanao will vote with me," Rangiku said. "She doesn't trust Rukia as far as she can throw her. Which isn't very far." She put her hand on her chin thoughtfully. "Ikkaku doesn't like her either from what I've gathered. I can't see Soi Fon disagreeing. The only one I could see having a problem with it is Renji."

"But Renji knows that no matter what, we're gonna hafta to vote her out sometime," he said. "I'll talk to him 'n Soi Fon 'n Ikkaku. You just get Nanao in on it."

"You sure you're okay with this?" Rangiku asked.

"If ya think that's what's best," he said, shrugging. "I agree that she could potentially be more dangerous than he is. Better to trust the snake than the rat (**A/N: XD Sue Hawk anyone?**)."

* * *

Nanao was busy gathering coconuts down on the beach when Rangiku found her. She looked at her ally in this game quizzically, seeing the determined look on her face. "What is it, Rangiku?" she asked quietly, stopping her work.

"I'm setting up a plan that'll get you and me farther in this game," she said.

Nanao's eyes widened. "How?" she asked. "What are you doing?"

Rangiku smiled. "Gin," she said simply.

"Rangiku, we can't trust him! It's too early, what do you think you're doing?" Nanao hissed.

"No, you've got it wrong," Rangiku said quickly. Nanao paused, a frown on her face. "We've saving Gin tonight and voting out Rukia instead. I told Shuhei that I didn't want to vote him out just yet because he's willing to do anything to get himself farther in this game. Rukia would try to work the odds in her favor. He's willing to go along with a plan as long as it benefits him. You see the logic there, right?"

Nanao nodded. "So how are we going to use this to our benefit?" she asked.

"We act at eight," Rangiku said. "You, me, Gin, Ulquiorra. All we have to do is bring in one other person. And I think we can convince someone to realize that they can't beat any of these guys at the challenges. Otherwise, we have to start instigating, starting up situations that self-destruct Ikkaku, Renji and Shuhei."

"So Shuhei would join with us, Gin and Ulquiorra?" Nanao guessed. "And then we get rid of Ulquiorra and Gin?" Rangiku nodded. "That's…that's brilliant." She looked at Rangiku and frowned. "How come you don't act this way back in the Seireitei?"

Rangiku giggled. "No one needs to know that I got top marks in my strategic analysis classes back in the Academy," she said. "Plus it's more fun to tease the Captain."

Nanao's eyes widened. "You got top marks in _that _class?" she asked. "_No one _gets top marks in that class! The professor is impossible!"

Rangiku shrugged. "What can I say?" she asked. "I'm a woman of _many _talents."

* * *

The scene shifted to tribal council, just as the Seikahou tribe was coming in. They put their torches in their normal spots and sat down as normal. Ichigo was waiting for them, looking quite excited about tonight. He waited for them to get comfortable, and then started the normal round of questioning. "So, it's down to nine," he said. "You guys are it. Seven of you are gonna become the jury, and two of you will be the last two remaining Soul Reapers out here. How does that impact what you do out here?"

"It's everything, Ichigo," Ulquiorra said. "The ultimate paradox of this game is that we are forced to vote out the people who we later want to come back and vote for us to win. There is no room for error. You must be confident in your decisions, as well as your ability to manipulate people well enough to have them still like you after you vote them out."

"An' that's easier said than done," Ikkaku spoke up. "I mean, how would ya feel if your best friends decided to vote ya out because ya weren't in their plans anymore? Ya wouldn't wanna vote for the person who betrayed your ass in the finals."

"Then how exactly do you do that?" Ichigo asked, putting his chin on his fist.

"Easy," Rangiku said, smiling. "You sweet talk the hell out of them!" There were snickers at the bluntness of that statement.

"Yeah, but not everyone likes a schmoozer," Ichigo pointed out. "Most of the time, they're annoying, overly positive and a downright pain in the ass."

"Exactly!" Renji said. "So there're two ways to go 'bout it, in my opinion. Ya either do what ya want an' accept the fact that some people aren't gonna like what you're doin', or ya go along with the ass-kissin' and hope that no one's smart enough to see through it." He shrugged.

"And what do you do, Renji?" Ichigo asked, grinning.

"I just do what I gotta do," the red-head said.

"Alright then, with that, it's time to vote," Ichigo said, standing up. "Shuhei, you're first." One by one, the members of Seikahou went up to cast their ballots, saying their piece as they went about it. Once the final vote was cast, Ichigo went up to go and get the votes. "Once the votes have been read, the decision is final and the person voted out will be asked to leave the tribal council area immediately. I'll read the votes. First vote: Ikkaku." Ikkaku nodded, understanding that he was inevitably the person the former Shireyu people would go after.

"Next vote: Ikkaku. Ikkaku. Rukia. Rukia. Rukia. Rukia." He pulled the next vote out of the container and looked at it. "The twelfth person voted out of Survivor: Soul Reaper Style and the first member of our jury – Rukia." He turned the paper around, revealing the name in impressive calligraphy. "Five votes is enough, it's time to bring me your torch."

Rukia sighed and smiled in resignation as she stood up, going to retrieve her torch. She brought it over to Ichigo, who smiled sardonically as he extinguished her torch. "Rukia, the tribe has spoken," he said solemnly. "It's time for you to go." She turned around and waved briefly before walking down the path of shame to exit.

Ichigo turned back around to face the Seikahou tribe. "Well, this game is finally entering the final stage," he said. "From now on, the jury will be sitting in on every tribal council. And eventually, you will have to pay for whatever actions you take – when you get to the final two. And remember – karma is one bad bitch. Grab your torches, head on back to camp."

And so ended episode ten.

* * *

Rukia's final words: "Well, I wasn't really expecting this so soon, but I guess with all the arguments that went on these last few days, I can't really say that I'm surprised," she admitted. "But I made the jury, and that's pretty good! I did all I could, and in the end, I just didn't have the numbers on my side. But I walked away with my best friendship intact. And I'm definitely happy about that. So I'll be rooting for Renji now." She smiled. "And Gin and Ulquiorra of course, my fellow Shireyu people!" She laughed. "But I had a lot of fun. I learned a lot about myself…and I'm not sure I liked everything I saw. So I've got some major thinking to do. One thing's for sure – this game is the real shit."

* * *

Drama, drama, drama. Lol, but I guess a lot of people are happy Rukia's finally gone right? Huh, that reminds me of Big Tom in All-Stars when Sue left. Ding-dong the witch is dead - which old witch? - the wicked witch! Lol, yeah I definitely made her into this season's biggest villain. But oh well. It is a game where your true side comes out!! Not that Rukia's evil or anything. Of course not.

Anyways, thanks again for all the reviews!! I appreciate it bunches!! Don't forget to vote in the popularity poll!!

Oh, and Miss Captain Flower Power...Rukia's final words bring a certain Marilyn Manson song to mind? XD


	19. Author's Note

Okay, so…this isn't a new chapter, I'm sorry. I am working on it though!! This is just a little note because I have a few things to ask/say. First things first, I have to give a big thank you to all you readers!! This story's gotten over five thousand hits now!! And that's exciting for me!! You all are the best.

Secondly, as much as I wish this fic to be over before school starts, I sincerely doubt that is going to happen, seeing as how I've only got about two weeks left. Seriously, where did summer go?? I'm not going to be quitting this story, seeing as how I'm so close to finishing, and everything, but I might have to slow down the updates a bit. But at the slowest, it would only be one new chapter a week. I hate it when I have to wait months for new chapters of the fics I read to come out, and I, according to one of my best friends, write like Jesus on crack XD, so no problems with writer's block. So the updates might slow down a little bit, but only a bit.

Third…I'm just gonna give everyone a little update on the popularity polls. Currently, Gin is in first place, Ulquiorra is in second, and Soi Fon is in third. But also, I wanted to know, what exactly do you guys think the popularity winner should win?? I've come up with a few ideas, but they're not all that great, lol.

Now on to the questions!!

1. Ok, so do you guys want Shuhei and Rangiku to be together once the show's over? Or do you want them to break it off after the show's over and go back to just being friends?

2. Also, do you guys want the final tribal council to be really intense and full of drama and accusations and hurt feelings? Or just…meh, no major arguments, just honest Q and A time?

Finally, I've got a hint for the next chapter, which is gonna be great, I can tell. It should be out either tomorrow or Friday. The title is **"Going Once, Going Twice, Gone!!" **so make of that what you will. Also…we have a special cameo appearance!! If anyone can accurately guess who's guest-staring and what that has to do with the title, I will seriously vote out whoever you want next. Promise. I will make it work. But it's only the first person who gets it right!! Obviously, I can't vote off two people in one episode. Already did that, lol. And I will check the times to make sure that the winner really was first!!

Thanks again for everything you guys!!


	20. Episode 11

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Bleach or Survivor. I just stuck the two of them together.

**Rating: **T

**A/N: **Well, here's episode eleven. I've been working on this all morning, so you guys better be happy! Lol, just kidding. This chapter's pretty short considering the last two...but this is all just set-up for next episode, which will be pivotal. Seriously, absolutely pivotal. Thanks again for all the reviews!!

* * *

**Soul Reaper Survivor  
****Episode Eleven – Going Once, Going Twice, Gone!**

The mood at Seikahou beach could only be described as peaceful. There was almost no noise – no talking, no moving, no scheming…it was pure, unadulterated peace. Most people had already gone to bed, or were lazing around the fire, just plain old doing nothing. There was a light breeze going through the camp, bringing with it the tang of salty air. It was almost like a vacation, except that most people were starving, tired and just wanted to get the game over with by this point.

Renji and Shuhei were down on the beach, away from the rest of the tribe. Shuhei looked over at his friend anxiously. "Are ya…upset or anythin'?" he asked quietly. "'Bout Rukia, I mean."

"Nah, not really," Renji said, shrugging. "She knew it was a game, an' that it wasn't anythin' personal. To be honest…I think that after what happened in the last few days, she was _glad _to get outta here. I know I woulda been, were I in her shoes."

"I'm just glad that you two resolved everythin'," Shuhei said, smiling. "Ya have no idea how miserable ya were when ya were mopin' around like that."

"I wasn't mopin'," Renji said, glaring.

"Whatever," Shuhei said, snickering.

* * *

"Of course I was a little sad to see Rukia go last night," Renji revealed the next morning. "But we knew that we had each already made different plans with other people. We didn't fit into each other's plans. An' there was nothin' I could really do for her. She wouldn't have wanted me to kill my own chances just to keep her here 'nother three days." He shook his head. "I think she'd have been happier if we'd just been put on the same tribe. But that ain't my fault, an' there certainly ain't nothin' we can do 'bout it now."

* * *

The next morning, all the of the remaining women and a few men had gathered down by the beach and were comparing their bodies, trying to guess exactly how much weight they'd lost. "I don't think I've ever been this skinny in my entire life," Nanao said, looking down at her emaciated frame. "I mean, I've never been overweight or anything, but this…this is bordering on anemic."

Soi Fon nodded. "I was always scrawny growing up, but I was never _this _scrawny," she said, looking down with disdain at her skeletal frame. She looked over at Rangiku. "You don't look that bad," she noted.

"Oh, yeah, it's hit me too," Rangiku said, staring down at her chest. "They're smaller than they used to be." Shuhei and Renji, who were the men who had joined them, burst out laughing at that. She looked over at them and smirked. "Well, I'm still the curviest girl here, so I don't know what you're laughing at."

"It was just the way ya said it," Shuhei said, catching his breath. He looked down at his own frame, and grimaced at what he saw. Where once toned muscles had been, there were now slowly degenerating muscles. Oh, he still had definition; losing all the fat on your body did that whether you worked out or not. But he was definitely going to have to hit the practice fields when he got back to the Seireitei. He looked over at Renji and snickered. "I can't believe ya broke your hair tie," he said.

Renji glared at him. "Shaddap," he said. "It ain't my fault that the stupid things break at the worst times." (**A/N: Amen!!**). He moved his eyes up to glare at the pieces of fiery red hair that were stuck to his forehead, too stubborn to move to either side.

"I don't know why you get so annoyed with your hair, Renji," Rangiku said. "I've always thought you had pretty hair."

"Pretty?" Renji asked, looking down at her, horrified. "My hair ain't pretty. Cool, yeah, but not pretty."

Soi Fon smiled. "What, are you afraid that people are going to think you're feminine because you have long hair?" she asked.

"No," Renji snapped.

"Ah, did we hit a soft spot, Renji?" Shuhei cooed.

"Oh, fuck off, all of ya," Renji said, turning around and moving out of the water.

* * *

"It's fun to tease Renji 'bout his hair," Shuhei grinned. "I mean, he's so insistent 'bout it, and he takes such good care of it. He's really like a girl, when it comes to hair. But ya never wanna tell 'im that to his face, cause he'll get all pissy and stalk off." He laughed. "I mean, he gets a special conditionin' serum from Captain Unohana back in the Seireitei. Rangiku don't even do that!"

* * *

Later on, it was Ulquiorra and Gin's turn to go and check the mail. On the way there, they both discussed exactly how vital it was that they start to pull through at these next challenges, and not let anyone else win. "If we don't win, they will vote us out," Ulquiorra said quietly. "I know that they already think I am a threat and want me gone as soon as possible."

"And that's bad for me," Gin said thoughtfully. "Because you're more likely to win a challenge than I am, so if you win, I'm going home."

"Do not count yourself out yet," Ulquiorra responded as he reached into the mailbag. "It is impossible to know for sure what is going to happen in the next few days." He pulled his hand up. He frowned; he was holding what appeared to be a small cloth container. He pulled it open, but there was nothing inside the pouch. He frowned up at his companion. "What do you think this means?"

Gin shrugged. "Don't look at me," he said. They walked back to camp rather silently. When they returned, everyone was waiting for them. They were all wanting to win a reward these days, because now it was pretty much all about food. And that was something everybody was feeling the lack of.

"What's in the pouch?" Shuhei asked, frowning at the item in Ulquiorra's hands.

"Nothing," the pale man answered. "There's no note or anything." He handed the pouch over to Shuhei, who inspected it and then passed it on to Renji, as if it were an item on a show-and-tell circuit.

"What does that mean?" Soi Fon asked. "That there would be note. Are we not having a challenge today?"

"Then what's up with this thing?" Ikkaku asked; it was now his turn to inspect the pouch. "They wouldn't send us somethin' if somethin' wasn't goin' on."

"Well, who knows," Rangiku said. "We might as well get ready to go." Everyone nodded and started to look for their sneakers, or get one last drink of water before they went. But while everyone else was doing that, Soi Fon pulled Shuhei and Renji aside from the main camp. She had to talk to them about something.

"Whatever this is, we can't let Ulquiorra or Gin win," she said quickly. They both nodded in understanding. "If it's food, they'll only be stronger for tomorrow's immunity challenge and have a better chance at beating us. We have to win."

"Don't worry," Shuhei said confidently. "We got ya."

"They ain't winnin' nothin'," Renji said, nodding in agreement.

* * *

When they all walked into the challenge area, it was nothing like what they were expecting. Instead of a series of obstacles, or a set-up that looked difficult, there was nothing but a couple sets of bleachers, each with four pouches identical to the one that they had been sent earlier via tree mail lying there. Each of these had a name on them, though, and were a certain color. They waited expectantly in between the bleachers, waiting for Ichigo to pop up and give their instructions.

Right on cue, Ichigo popped up from behind a roughly-composed counter that was facing the bleachers. He laughed outright at the expressions on the contestants faces that ranged from puzzlement, confusion and utter bewilderment. "I bet you guys wanna know what the hell is going on," he said.

"Ya really hafta ask?" Renji asked, looking around at the cabinets surrounding Ichigo suspiciously. He couldn't help but think back to the food challenge that he'd just barely won over Rukia. He certainly hoped that he wasn't going to have to do that again.

"You look worried, Renji," Ichigo noted, making several of the tribe members snicker. "Today, we're takin' a little break from the challenges, to hopefully give you guys something that you want. Everybody take a seat next to the wallet with your name on it."

"What's a wallet?" Nanao asked.

Ichigo blinked at her. "You don't know what a wallet is?" he asked. He was met with eight blank stares, and sighed. Man, Soul Society really was behind on the times. "It's what we use in the world of the living to hold our money."

"Oh!" Renji said. "I thought it was like one of those envelopes things!"

Ichigo rolled his eyes. "Envelopes are paper, Renji," he said.

"Well, ya never know," Renji muttered defensively, taking his seat on the top level of the right set of bleachers. "Now would ya mind tellin' us what the hell we're doin'?"

"If you'll shut up," Ichigo said calmly. "Inside each of your wallets is five hundred American dollars. We would use yen, but the bills wouldn't all fit into the wallet. So roughly, five hundred dollars equals about fifty-four thousand yen. The five hundred dollars are divided into bills of twenty units. Make sense?" Everyone nodded. "Then welcome to the Survivor Auction." He raised his hands into the air with a flourish. "You're gonna get a chance to bid on items that I put up for bid. There are a limited number of items, so if you see something you want, go for it. This auction will stop without warning. There is no guarantee that you'll all get something. The bidding for each item will always start at twenty bucks – one bill – and go up in increments of twenty. Sharing of money is allowed, but both people must be willing. Everybody understand?" Once again, everyone nodded.

"Okay," Ichigo said, pulling up a large covered tray. "First item up for bid." He pulled the covering off the tray, revealing a plate of nachos complete with cheese and salsa (**A/N: Since the author knows little to no Japanese foods, I'm using American food. And yeah, nachos aren't exactly American. But they're served at Taco Bell, so they're fair game**). "Bidding starts at twenty bucks."

"Twenty," Shuhei said immediately.

"Forty," Renji said.

Shuhei looked over at his ally. "Ya like nachos, Renji?" he asked in surprise. "I thought ya didn't like spicy food."

"They're nachos, not hot peppers!" Renji said defensively. "Oy, Ichigo, I get those 'r not?"

"Plate of nachos going once…twice…sold to Renji for forty bucks!" Ichigo said. "Come n' get it, ya big pineapple." Renji jumped down off the top bleacher and made his way to the counter. He slapped down two bills and snatched his plate of nachos.

"I ain't no pineapple," he snapped at Ichigo.

The host snickered. "Well, not anymore, since ya broke your hair tie," he said. "Your pineapple got smashed."

Renji just gave him the finger and hopped up on the bleacher, immersing himself in eating his nachos. Ichigo smirked and picked up the next tray of food. This one was a bit smaller. He pulled the tray off, revealing a crystal glass of something that smelled very fruity. To Ichigo's surprise, Ulquiorra sat up very straight and peered at the glass. "Is that apple juice?" he asked quietly.

"Yep," Ichigo said. "Glass of apple juice. Starts at twenty bucks."

"Twenty," Ulquiorra said immediately.

"Since when does Ulquiorra Schiffer like apple juice?" Ichigo demanded.

"Since he first tasted it," Ulquiorra responded, his eyes flashing.

Ichigo shrugged. "Going once…twice…sold to Ulquiorra for twenty bucks!" The pale man stood up and walked over to the counter, putting down one bill and taking the glass of juice into his hands. He carried it back to his seat carefully, as if it were the most precious thing in the world to him at the moment. He took a drink once he sat down, and Ichigo was surprised to see the faintest traces of a smile there. Well. Ulquiorra liked apple juice. Who knew?

Ichigo pulled up the next item. This time the item was quite large, but he didn't pull the top off either. "What is that?" Shuhei asked.

"I'm not telling ya that, Shuhei," Ichigo asked. "This one stay's covered."

Shuhei stared at the item for a second, and then said, "Eh, why not? Twenty."

"Forty." Ikkaku was in on the action now.

"Sixty," Gin said.

"Everyone thinks this is something good," Ichigo said, smiling.

"It's big," Ikkaku said. "Eighty."

"A hundred." Shuhei wasn't letting this go.

"One twenty." Apparently, Gin wasn't either.

Ikkaku and Shuhei both stared at the item, and then shook their heads almost in unison. "Too rich for my blood," Shuhei muttered.

"Going once…twice…sold to Gin for one hundred and twenty bucks!" Ichigo said. "Come 'n get it!" Gin stood up and made his way over to the table. He put down the six bills on the table and made to lift the cover off but Ichigo stopped him. "Before you get what you paid for, lemme offer you something else," he said, smirking. He put his hand on the larger tray. "This is what you what paid for." He reached down and pulled out another, smaller tray. "If you want, you can trade what you already have for this." He patted the smaller one.

"Oh my God," Rangiku said. "That's not nice, Ichigo!"

"Never said I was nice," Ichigo said, smirking. "So Gin, what do ya wanna do?"

Gin looked at both trays. "I think I'm going to stick with what I paid for," he said.

Ichigo shrugged. "Okay, this is what you gave up," he said, lifting up the cover off the smaller tray. He revealed a plate of cheese and crackers. "This is what you have." He lifted the cover off the larger tray. To his surprise – and shock – Gin actually opened his eyes wide at the plate now sitting in front of him. "Spaghetti and meat sauce, complete with garlic bread," Ichigo continued.

"That's huge," Gin pointed out. "I get all of that?"

"Yep," Ichigo said. "Take it."

Gin shook his head a couple times and his normal expression came back, complete with slitted eyes and a smirk. He picked up the tray and took it back to his seat and began eating. "Did you cook this?" he asked Ichigo.

"No," Ichigo said, chuckling.

"Cause it's actually very good," Gin added. Shuhei and Ikkaku were eying the plate lustfully; Ikkaku looked slightly angry with himself that he'd let Gin have something like that.

"Since he didn't want it," Ichigo said. "Cheese and crackers. Who wants 'em?"

"Twenty!" Nanao said. No one else bid. Nanao looked around. "No one else likes cheese and crackers?" she asked. Some people shrugged, and others just didn't answer.

"Going once…twice…sold, to Nanao for twenty bucks!" Ichigo said. Nanao stood up and walked over, setting the bill down on the counter as she took her plate. She didn't mind settling for cheese and crackers; she liked cheese and crackers. It was simple, but tasty.

"Next item," Ichigo said, pulling up a large tray. On it was a plate with a cheeseburger, fries and all kinds of condiments. "Burger and fries, with all the fixin's." He thought about it for a minute, and then pulled out something else. "To wash it down," he said, putting down an ice cold beer down next to it.

"Twenty," Ikkaku said immediately.

"Forty," Shuhei said.

"Sixty," Renji added. He'd finished his nachos a long time ago.

"Ya already had your nachos!" Ikkaku barked out. "Eighty!"

"That don't mean nothin'!" Renji added. "I'm still hungry! Hundred!"

"Hundred n' twenty," Shuhei said.

"Hundred n' forty," Ikkaku said. "I ain't losin' for a beer."

"Hundred sixty." Renji apparently didn't want to lose this one either.

"Hundred eighty," Ikkaku added stubbornly.

Renji looked as if he considered it for a moment, but finally shook his head. "Going once…twice…sold to Ikkaku for one hundred and eighty bucks!" Ichigo said. Ikkaku hopped down and slapped the money on the counter, taking a long drink of the beer before going back to his seat to actually eat.

"Next item," Ichigo said. He pulled up a huge bowl filled with the largest ice cream sundae any of them had ever seen, including the one Shinji had gotten at a previous immunity challenge. That one held no candle to the one Ichigo was now holding. "Ice cream sundae."

"Twenty," Rangiku said immediately, her eyes glued to the chocolate on the ice cream.

"Forty," Nanao said, eyeing the ice cream as lustfully as Rangiku was.

"Sixty," Rangiku said.

"Eighty."

"One hundred."

Rangiku looked over at her ally when Nanao didn't add more money to bid on. Nanao shook her head. "Going once…twice…sold to Rangiku for a hundred bucks!" Ichigo said. Rangiku squealed and jumped up, practically dancing over to the counter as she put the bills down. She picked up the bowl with trembling hands and made her way back to her seat. She took one tentative first bite, and made the most pleasured sound Ichigo had ever heard anybody sound. Seriously, the woman was almost crying. "You really like ice cream, don't you?" he asked. Rangiku nodded, too busy eating to answer.

He shrugged. "Okay, next item up for bid is a bit different," he said. He pulled out a brown envelope. "In this envelope is a clue that will help you in the next immunity challenge. You must keep it sealed and in this envelope until the next challenge. If it's opened, it's useless."

"Twenty," Ulquiorra said immediately.

"Forty." Gin realized that he needed this just as bad as his only ally remaining in the game.

"Sixty," Ulquiorra said.

"Eighty," Gin said.

"Ichigo," Soi Fon said suddenly, her eyes fixed on that envelope. "Can we skip certain increments when we bid?" Ichigo nodded. "In that case…I'll do five hundred dollars for that envelope." Everyone turned and stared at her, shocked.

Ichigo blinked at her. "You're willing to bet everything that you have on this envelope," he said in disbelief. She nodded. "Okay then. Going once…twice…sold, to Soi Fon for five hundred bucks!" Soi Fon stood up and just handed him over her wallet, not even bothering to open it to count out the bills. In return, he handed her the envelope. "Alright then," Ichigo said. "This auction is over. Head on back to camp."

* * *

When they got back to camp, Shuhei immediately stalked off to the beach, angry. Rangiku looked at his retreating back. She felt so bad for him; he was the only one who'd gotten nothing out of that challenge. He might as well have not been there. Sighing, she went after him, running lightly to catch up with him. He was already a suitable distance away from camp, sitting beneath a shady palm tree. She made her way over to him and kneeled down in the sand next to her.

"Rangiku?" Shuhei asked in surprise, looking up at her. Since she was on her knees, she had a height advantage over him at the moment.

"Here," Rangiku said, leaning down and kissing Shuhei full on the mouth. His eyes grew wide as he stared at her, wondering what the hell she was doing. When she poked her tongue at his lips, he willingly opened his mouth, not complaining, but still unsure of what was happening. She slipped her tongue into his mouth and he easily accepted it. He frowned…what was that…oh, he got it now. She still tasted like ice cream. She was letting him get whatever taste that lingered from the ice cream. It was sweet, if a bit weird.

He smiled into the kiss and let her do what she wanted with her tongue. After a few more moments, she withdrew, smiling at him. "Did it work?" she asked, panting slightly.

"Ya mean, did I taste the ice cream?" he asked. She nodded. "Yeah, I got it." He pulled her into him for a hug. "Thanks," he murmured into her hair.

She easily wrapped her arms around his torso. "No problem," she whispered back.

* * *

"Well, I certainly wasn't expectin' Rangiku to do what she did when we got back to camp," Shuhei admitted in private, laughing. "Don't get me wrong, I ain't complainin'! What she did was really sweet, I think, but man, it caught me off guard! I mean…wow!" He laughed again. "I'm frickin' speechless!"

* * *

Meanwhile, Soi Fon and Renji were out gathering wood once again. Soi Fon was working with a smile on her face, happy that she'd won the biggest prize at the auction. "I can't believe ya bet all five hundred bucks on that thing," Renji said, smirking at her. He picked up a large log and slung it over his shoulder.

"Well, the only way that I would have gotten it was if I had bid everything," Soi Fon explained. "Ulquiorra was only out twenty dollars. He would have gone all the way to four hundred and eighty dollars if it had come to that."

"Ya think so?"

"I know so," she said firmly. "Now, hopefully we have enough of an advantage in the next challenge that we'll win, and not him. I just wonder what this advantage is going to be."

"Maybe it's one of the challenges where ya have three things ya gotta break, an' one of yours'll already be broken," Renji guessed.

"Maybe," Soi Fon mused. "The only way to know for sure is to wait until tomorrow I guess."

* * *

"I was very pleased that I was able to win the clue about tomorrow's challenge," Soi Fon said. "It wasn't really something that I wanted, it was something I needed to keep Ulquiorra and Gin from having, because I don't want them to win. Ulquiorra's proven that he's not going to stop for anything to win. He really is a one-man army. He's too strong of a competitor to keep in this game. I want him out, gone, so that I can start having a chance at some of these endurance challenges."

* * *

The scene shifted a day ahead to the next immunity challenge. Ichigo was waiting for the Seikahou tribe with a huge smile on his face. Everyone came in and stood on the blue mat, looking around. Soi Fon was gripping her envelope tightly in her hand.

"You guys ready for today's challenge?" Ichigo asked. Everyone nodded. "Today is going to be a test of your physical strength as well as your mental strength. Down near the beach are five weighted crates; these crates weigh anything from fifty to one hundred and fifty pounds. You're gonna run down to the beach, and grab the crates any way that you can. Get them back here, and put them on your colored mat. Once you have all five crates, you'll run off into the jungle, following the path that's marked with your color flags. At the end of the path is a set of keys. Run back with the keys and use them to open up all the crates.

"Inside these crates are then gonna be letter tiles," he continued. "There are ten tiles in all. Unscramble the letters to form a two-word phrase. When ya think you've got it, call out and I'll come and check it for you. Make sense?" Everyone nodded, serious expressions on their faces. This was going to be a hard challenge, they could tell. Ichigo turned to Soi Fon. "Soi Fon, you opened that envelope yet?"

"No," she said, turning it around to show him that the seal was still unbroken.

"Okay," he said, nodding. "Open it now and read it aloud."

Soi Fon quickly broke the seal on the envelope and pulled out the piece of paper that was inside. She unfolded the piece of paper and began to read it. "'Transporting weight is never fun. At least, not on your own. So for today's challenge, you won't be doing it alone.'" She looked up, surprised. "I'm working with someone else?" she guessed.

"Yep," Ichigo said. "This person gets to help you on every part of the challenge. You can use their strength however you want. Wanna know who you're working with?" Soi Fon nodded. Ichigo turned to the woods. "Come on out!" he yelled. Soi Fon's face grew even more surprised. She had thought that she was just going to be working with one of her tribe members.

Immediately, a sound of laughter entered the area as someone walked out of the woods. He wasn't wearing his normal Soul Reaper uniform; instead, he was just clad in a black pair of swimming trunks and a pair of sneakers. He had no zanpaku-to with him, and no one else was accompanying him. He went to stand beside Ichigo, laughing at the stunned expressions on the faces of the contestants. "What's the matter, Ikkaku?" he asked. "You ain't happy to see your Captain out here?"

Kenpachi Zaraki towered over Ichigo, as well as all of the other contestants, who were still too dumbfounded to speak. Now everyone knew exactly the kind of advantage Soi Fon had; there was no way in hell that she could lose, not with Kenpachi on her side. "So, who'm I working with?" he asked, looking over the remaining Survivors.

"Soi Fon," Ichigo replied easily. Zaraki moved over to his fellow Captain's side, smiling wickedly. "Kenpachi already knows what the challenge is about. You can tell him to do whatever you want, and he'll do it. Understand?" Soi Fon nodded. "Okay, then, everybody get to your mat, and we'll get started!" Everyone moved over to their colored mat and got ready to start running. "Survivors ready…GO!" Ichigo called out.

Immediately, Kenpachi hoisted Soi Fon up in one arm and started running like some kind of sprinter down to the beach, leaving everyone else in the dust. Soi Fon didn't seem to mind, though she did look a bit disoriented as the scenery whirled past her. They reached the beach first and she leapt off nimbly. He grabbed a crate with each of his hands and she grabbed one, and they started to run back, just as the fastest of the others made it to the beach.

As soon as they had reached her mat, Kenpachi and Soi Fon dropped the crates, and then Soi Fon was lifted up into his arms again as he ran down to the beach like some kind of wild animal. They got the remaining two crates and then ran back to the mat. Once all their crates had been deposited, Soi Fon ran into the jungle. She had debated whether or not to send Zaraki in after the keys, but after all, he had no sense of direction whatsoever. She'd decided not to tempt fate.

While Soi Fon retrieved the keys, Kenpachi watched as the other Survivors got their boxes to their mats. Ikkaku and Renji were in the lead with three, Shuhei and Gin close behind with two. Everyone else was either coming back with their second or going to down to retrieve it. He had to laugh at their pathetic efforts.

Soi Fon came scrambling out of the jungle then, a circle of metal keys on her arm. She threw the keys to a waiting Kenpachi, who immediately began unlocking the crates. As soon as they were unlocked, Soi Fon retrieved the letter tiles inside of them. They soon had all the tiles out and were working on a phrase. It didn't take long before she had figured it out. "Ichigo!" she called out excitedly. "I got it!"

Instantly, the orange-haired man came over, looking down at the phrase she'd formed: YOU'RE SAVED. "Soi Fon wins immunity!" he said loudly. Said winner let out a huge whoop of joy, so happy that she actually hugged Kenpachi. Yes, that's right; the resident man-hater of Soul Society _hugged _Kenpachi Zaraki, of all people. "Come here, Soi Fon!" Ichigo called out, holding out the immunity sword. She gladly ran over and let him put the sword over her shoulders. "Congrats, you're safe tonight at tribal council. For one of the rest of you, this game is gonna be over. Head on back to camp."

* * *

Back at camp, Ikkaku, Renji and Shuhei were lounging out in the water, letting themselves cool down after a challenge that had been straining even for those who hadn't done very well. "I can't believe she got the Captain's help," Ikkaku muttered. "There was no way anyone else coulda won that."

"Well, at least Gin or Ulquiorra didn't win," Shuhei said. "That was our main concern."

"Yeah," Renji said.

There was a brief moment of silence. "So who goes tonight?" Ikkaku asked. "Gin or Ulquiorra?"

"I say Ulquiorra," Shuhei said, remembering Rangiku's wishes to keep Gin in so that they could use him later on if they needed. "He's proved too stubborn in these endurance challenges to keep. An' he's smart too. We get a mental challenge, and boom, he's got it." He shook his head. "A person like him is too frickin' dangerous to keep around."

"An' then we go for Gin next week?" Renji asked.

"Yeah," Shuhei said. "Then we gotta start pickin' ourselves off."

"Well, we all know who's goin' first," Renji said. "Nanao hasn't done anythin' strategic since day one. She's basically gotten a free ride this far. An' I dunno 'bout you, but that kinda pisses me off." He shook his head. "I didn't come this far to carry someone else to the finals."

"Seriously," Shuhei said. "Rangiku knows she's fifth. She has to."

"Then Soi Fon goes, and we're the final three," Ikkaku said. Renji and Shuhei nodded. "An' at three, we just duke it out."

"Sounds like a plan to me," Renji agreed.

* * *

Meanwhile, Nanao and Rangiku were back at camp stirring up some coconuts for lunch while Ulquiorra and Soi Fon had gone to refill the water. No one was really sure where Gin was. Nanao looked over at Rangiku. "So what're we doing tonight, Rangiku?" she asked. "Ulquiorra didn't win like you thought he would."

"I know," Rangiku said. "And I honestly think they're more concerned about getting rid of him than Gin." She looked over at her ally. "Do you think we could get someone to flip to our side to vote off someone?"

"Someone?" Nanao asked. "You have to be more specific, Rangiku."

"Ikkaku or Renji," Rangiku said. "They're the biggest physical threats once Ulquiorra is gone. I can't compete against anybody but you and Soi Fon, to be perfectly honest. I don't have the strength anymore. And Soi Fon has to see that Ikkaku, Renji and Shuhei won't take her to the final three. Three guys who are all friends outside this game? Please."

"I know," Nanao said. "The question is: can we convince her of that?"

"I don't know," Rangiku said, shaking her head. "But we've got to hope so."

"She's a shrewd woman," Nanao said after a minute or two of silence. "She understands that she won't beat them in a straight-on physical challenge. And I have a hard time believing the immunity challenge for the final four would be an endurance challenge."

"Let's just hope that she sees that," Rangiku said.

* * *

Later that night, right before tribal council, Gin and Ulquiorra were standing near their torches, having one last conversation before it was time to go. "Well, I think that this is the end of the road for one of us," Ulquiorra said quietly.

"You never know what could happen," Gin said.

"That may be true, but I do not think that it is the case for us," Ulquiorra said. "Soi Fon wants me gone, and Renji, Ikkaku and Shuhei will go along with it. Even if Rangiku and Nanao were to join with us, it would still be a tie. At this point, I do not think that it is safe for them to risk such a tie; they know that, and I do not hold it against them."

"You know, you really are a pessimist," Gin said, smirking.

"No, I am just realistic," Ulquiorra said. "Everyone else is falsely optimistic. If you assume the worst-case scenario, then you cannot be disappointed when it happens, or disappointed if it does not happen. It is safer."

"Well, how do you know that they won't vote off me instead of you?" Gin asked.

"They could do that," Ulquiorra said. "But they won't. They consider me too much of a threat for that."

"Yes, but none of them trust me," Gin pointed out.

"Which is why you are going to be in very good shape once I am gone," Ulquiorra said. "I have been observing the interactions between the various members of their alliance, and there are two separate factions. You will be a free vote; you will have the chance to choose your own destiny in this game. None of them trust you, but they all know that you will have nothing else to go for, and so will try to get you on their side. Besides, you already have on other ally, whether you see it or not."

He looked over to the rest of the tribe, who were busy preparing to leave. Gin looked over to where he was looking, and saw Rangiku as she was slipping on her tennis shoes. She looked over at them, and they both looked back at each other. "Rangiku?" Gin asked quietly.

"She will not betray you," Ulquiorra said. "I can feel it. You will have to go along with her and Nanao, who is her only true ally. You can win this game, Gin. I can't. And so I am going to do what I can help you win."

"That's nice of you," Gin said. "And I am truly sorry that we couldn't go farther together, Ulquiorra." His face was actually a bit remorseful, as if he truly meant the words. "We would've been a good final two."

"I agree," Ulquiorra said. "But it appears as if that was not meant to be."

* * *

The scene shifted to tribal council, where the members of Seikahou had sat down and were just waiting for the questioning to begin. Ichigo was still standing. "We'll now bring in the first member of our jury," he said. "Rukia, voted out at last tribal council." Slowly, Rukia came up from the other side of the area, wearing a loose pale yellow dress, and sat down across from the Survivors. Her hair already looked healthy, and her face was once again glowing with life. Three days had apparently done her wonders. "I'll remind you that the jury is here merely to observe. They are going to be gathering information that they'll need later on to make a very important decision – who is going to win this game."

Ichigo sat down. "Well, it's been a somewhat unusual three days for you guys," he said, smirking. "Soi Fon, you glad you got that envelope at the reward challenge?"

She made an amused noise and smiled. "Of course, Ichigo," she said. "I have no doubt in my mind that if I hadn't won that envelope, I would not be wearing this." She touched the sword that was currently around her shoulders. "It was money _very _well spent."

"Ulquiorra, I can't help but notice that you look pretty dejected," Ichigo said.

"That would be because I am going home tonight," Ulquiorra said. "I have no excuses for not winning the immunity challenge today, and I know that they think of me as the biggest threat to their alliance. I can't really fight those odds."

"Well, Gin's still here," Ichigo said, pointing at the other outsider. "Why not vote for him?"

"Gin hasn't done as well in the challenges," Nanao said quietly. "Ulquiorra's shown that he has enough willpower to win any kind of endurance challenge. Out of the three individual immunity challenges so far, two of them have been endurance-based. It's too much of a risk to keep someone like him in this game."

"So, basically, you can't beat Ulquiorra, so you're taking him out," Ichigo summed it up.

"Basically, yes," Soi Fon said. "I know how hard those endurance challenges are. I've come in second place on both of them. But I've seen that he will not quit when it comes to crunch time. He isn't going to give up. That's very dangerous to an alliance like ours."

"Why do you think you haven't been able to beat him in any of the endurance challenges, Renji?" Ichigo asked. "Is Ulquiorra really that much stronger than you?"

"No," Renji said. "I don't think it's a question of strength. If ya compare Ulquiorra to me 'r Shuhei or Ikkaku, we're bigger 'n him. We got more muscle. It's not 'bout strength. He's got a stronger will than we do at this point, because we're not backed into a corner like he is."

"Willpower," Ichigo said. "That is something that you always need to win. Rangiku, do you have to the will to win this game?"

"I think so," Rangiku said. "I know that I'm on the outskirts of my own alliance. I don't want to finish in fifth place. I want to win this. So I'm gonna have to find some willpower if I want to go much further."

"Okay then," Ichigo said. "It's time to vote. Ulquiorra, you're up first." One by one, the members of Seikahou went up to the confessional to cast their votes. Some of them were expressive in their feelings about who they had voted for, and some merely gave a few words about why they were voting for whom they were. "I'll go get the votes," Ichigo said once the last vote had been cast. "I'll remind you that once the votes are read, the decision is final, and the person voted out will be asked to leave the tribal council area immediately. Let's get to it. First vote: Ulquiorra.

"Next vote: Ikkaku. Ikkaku. Ulquiorra. Ulquiorra. Ulquiorra." He pulled up the next piece of paper. "The thirteenth person voted out of Survivor: Soul Reaper Style and the second member of our jury – Ulqiorra. Five votes is enough. It's time to bring me your torch." Ulquiorra stood up, his expression remaining neutral, and went to collect his torch. He brought it over to Ichigo. "Ulquiorra, the tribe has spoken. It's time for you to go." Ulquiorra nodded and walked out.

"Well, it's down to seven," Ichigo said, turning to the remaining members of Seikahou. "Things are gonna be very interesting in the next couple of days, because from what I've gathered, Gin is the odd man out. He's both very valuable and very dangerous. We'll see what happens. Grab your torches, and head on back to camp."

And so ended episode eleven.

* * *

Ulquiorra's final words: "In many ways, I believe that my being voted out was out of respect more than a dislike of me or a wish to see me gone," he said. "I believe that it is a great honor to be voted out under the pretense of being too strong a threat. And I am very grateful that the other members of Seikahou were as gracious about it as they were. They weren't overly arrogant, they didn't rub it in, so to speak. This is a great group of people and I am proud that I had to chance to compete alongside them."

* * *

Aww...poor Ulquiorra. I always hate it when the strongest physical threats are voted out, because there's nothing they can generally do about. But Ulquiorra does get to come back on the jury. Hehe, and he is not going to let anybody go easily. His question is going to be intense, I can tell you that much.

Thanks again for the responses to my question last chapter!! If you didn't answer, you still can. And the popularity poll is still open - yes, you can still vote for Ulquiorra if you still want him to win the popularity poll. He's fair game. Thanks again for all the reviews!! You guys are already closing in on 150!! That makes this author veery happy.


	21. Episode 12

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Bleach or Survivor. I just stuck the two of them together.

**Rating: **T

**A/N:** Another chapter, ready to go!! Seriously, though, my fingers are killing me. I swear I'll have carpal tunnel by the time I'm thirty. Well, I finally figured out exactly how I want things to end up. I think most people will be okay with the winner and runner-up. Haha, the them song for this episode is definitely "Mastermind" by Mindless Self-Indulgence. Any MSI fans here? There's gotta be a couple. Great song.

* * *

**Soul Reaper Survivor  
****Episode Twelve – Thy Name is Duplicity**

"'And the smallest worm will turn, being trodden on.'"  
- William Shakespeare, King Henry IV, Part III

It was late when the Seikahou tribe came back from tribal council. A lot of people had already gone to bed, too tired to stay up and talk by the fire. The only ones that remained awake at the moment were Soi Fon, Shuhei and Renji. Soi Fon was smiling absently as she stared into the flames. Shuhei was staring at her, knowing exactly what she was smiling about. "So, ya glad we got him out then?" he asked quietly.

"Yeah," Soi Fon, laughing a bit. "Now I finally have a chance at these endurance challenges." She shook her head. "It's just hard to come in second to the same guy two weeks in a row, you know? It was nice to finally beat him. I think we've got it a lot easier now."

"Never figured ya were the vindictive type," Renji said, smirking.

"Vindictive?" Soi Fon said, blinking. "I'm not vindictive."

"Ya just admitted that ya basically wanted Ulquiorra gone because he was beatin' ya," Renji pointed out. "If that ain't vindictive, then I don't know what is."

Shuhei snickered. "I think ya got the wrong word in your mind," he said. "The word ya want is jealousy."

Soi Fon's jaw dropped in mock astonishment. "Shuhei, I am not a jealous person!" she said teasingly. They all three laughed a bit. "But honestly, it wasn't as much about jealousy as it was that I just wanted to win. It wasn't that I was envious of him. I just wanted to prove that he wasn't the only one who could win."

"Yeah," Shuhei said, right before yawning hugely. "Well, I'm 'bout passin' out. I'm gonna go lay down. Night, you guys." He nodded once and then turned around and headed into the shelter. No doubt to go find Rangiku. They liked to "keep each other warm" at night.

Soi Fon returned to staring absently into the fire. These next few days were going to be interesting. Because they were running out of people to just vote off. Now, things were going to start getting personal. She just that no one would take things too harshly.

* * *

"This game is getting down to it," Soi Fon said in private. "We have Gin, and then all of the members of the different alliance are gone. After that, we have to start eating each other." She shook her head. "I'm not sure how that's going to go, to be honest. Some people will be easier to vote off than others, just because I don't like them as much as others. But some people I've really grown to like out here – people that I probably never would've liked had I not come out here. That's…that's going to be difficult."

* * *

The next morning was very rainy, wet and miserable. Most people were huddled inside the shelter, huddling together for warm, or curled up in their warmest clothes. A few were out by the fire, tending to it in the shelter of the overhanging rock. Ikkaku and Renji were two of those. "Man," Ikkaku said, staring out at the heavy downpours. "This sucks."

"I think this is the worst storm we've had since we've gotten here," Renji said, crossing his arms over his chest as he stared out glumly. "I don't mind rain back home, but this just sucks. It worse than sucks."

"How can somethin' worse than suck?" Ikkaku asked, snorting.

"I dunno," Renji muttered. "But this does."

"I don't understand what the hell you're talkin' 'bout," Ikkaku said, shaking his head. "But I agree. This is goddamn miserable. There's a million other painful things I'd rather do."

"Like what?" Renji asked with interest.

"Like fight with the Captain," Ikkaku said in all seriousness.

"You'd rather fight Kenpachi Zaraki than go through this shit?" Renji asked, cocking an eyebrow at his friend. He sighed. "As crazy as I'm gonna sound for sayin' it…I kinda agree with ya."

Ikkaku chuckled. "Man, we're fuckin' assholes," he said. "Watch 'im come an' track us down an' fight us when we get back to Soul Society."

"You probably wouldn't mind," Renji said, moving his hands to his knees and lying back a bit, getting more comfortable.

Ikkaku snorted again. "Probably not," he admitted. "How 'bout you?"

"Are ya kiddin' me?" Renji asked, staring up at his friend. He transferred his arms from his knees to behind his head. "I'd rather gouge my eyes out with a rusty spoon."

* * *

"The weather is one of the worst things 'bout this place," Renji confessed. "It's nasty. Some days, it's hot 'n sunny 'n shit, an' that's just miserable cause ya get all sweaty 'n nasty. An' then other days it's cold an' wet an' miserable." He threw his hands up in the air and rolled his eyes. "I dunno which is worse, to tell ya the truth. An' havin' this mop hangin' on my neck all day long ain't doin' anythin' for me." He picked up a piece of hair and stared at it speculatively. "I'd probably hate myself for it later on, but if I had a pair of scissors here, I'd chop it all off."

* * *

Later on that morning, during a break in the clouds, Rangiku and Soi Fon went to go retrieve water. Soi Fon had been surprised when Rangiku had offered to go with her; normally, they weren't all buddy-buddy or anything. Yes, they chatted on occasion. But Rangiku had never jumped up at the opportunity to go do something before. She normally did only as much as she had to to avoid being called lazy.

"So, is there a particular reason why you wanted to go get water with me?" Soi Fon asked tentatively, looking over at the woman beside her.

"What?" Rangiku asked, being pulled from her thoughts. She sighed. "Well, actually, I did want to talk to you about something."

"What is it?" Soi Fon asked warily. She had to remind herself that this was Rangiku, a fifth-place finisher at most. Of course she was going to try and improve her lot. Soi Fon would hear her out, but that made no guarantees that she was going to do what Rangiku suggested.

"Okay, so the plan so far is to vote out Gin next," Rangiku started. They had reached the water source, and had hoisted the pot up onto the side of the well.

"Yes," Soi Fon prompted her to continue.

"And then I'm assuming it's Nanao to go, then me," Rangiku said. When Soi Fon didn't say anything, she continued. "That leaves you, Ikkaku, Renji and Shuhei in the final four. I know that Renji and Shuhei have an alliance to the end, even if they've told you otherwise. That puts you at either third or fourth, unless you win that final immunity challenge."

"And what are you suggesting?" Soi Fon asked.

"Right now, there are seven people left," Rangiku said, pouring a canteen of water into the pot. "If there was ever a time to act, it's now."

Soi Fon looked up at Rangiku, narrowing her eyes. "Are you implying what I think you are?" she asked.

"That depends on what you think I'm talking about," Rangiku said evenly. "If you think I'm implying that we break up Shuhei, Ikkaku and Renji while we have a chance, then yeah, you're right."

"I don't know," Soi Fon said, shaking her head. "That's awful risky."

"Sure," Rangiku said. "But your chances would be better."

"How so?" Soi Fon asked, pouring more water in the pot.

"Say you broke it off with Renji, Shuhei and Ikkaku," Rangiku said. "Those are your three strongest competitors. You've beaten Gin at everything we've competed in so far. And Nanao? Seriously, come on. I'm not weak, but I've never beaten you either. Out of all of us, you're strongest. You could totally win this game."

"That sounds like it's a little too good to be true, especially for me," Soi Fon said. "If what you're saying is true, then you're putting yourself in fourth, third or second place. You're not really doing much for yourself except prolonging your life by a few days."

Rangiku shrugged. "All I have to do is get to the final two," she said. "Once I get there, it's up to the jury."

"But what if Nanao turns on you and allied with Gin and myself to vote you off?" Soi Fon asked. "What then?"

"Then I've been duped," Rangiku said. "But I'm not gonna lose sleep over it. I'm trying to get the people I want to see win as far as I can while still advancing myself. The people I want to see win are Nanao, Gin and you."

"What about Shuhei?" Soi Fon asked. "I can't honestly believe that you don't want him to win." She put the lid back on the well and they lifted the pot before settling it down between their arms as they brought it back to camp.

"Sure, I'd like to see Shuhei win," Rangiku said, sighing. "But even if he got to the final two, I don't think he would win. He's just…not one of those players who stands out, you know?" Soi Fon nodded in agreement. "He's one of the people who'll make the jury, but just isn't determined enough to win."

"You're willing to backstab Shuhei?" Soi Fon guessed.

"I never made an alliance with him," Rangiku said. "It wouldn't be backstabbing."

"Really?" Soi Fon asked, raising her eyebrows. "I was under the impression that you two were in an alliance to the end."

"Nope."

"Hmmm," Soi Fon said. "That changes things a bit."

* * *

"Of course Rangiku is going to come up to me and ask me to to go along with whatever plan she comes up with to make it farther," Soi Fon said. "She knows that as things are, she can finish in fifth place at best. But no one wants to go out when we're that close to winning. And to be honest, her arguments all have valid, logical points. I probably would have a better shot going up again her, Nanao and Gin in the final four. But then there's the question of how would the rest of my previous alliance to the final four feel about things. If I were them, I'd feel betrayed, pissed and hurt. So I don't know what I'm doing yet. It's going to take some thinking to figure this one out."

* * *

Rangiku was out sitting on the rocks, preparing herself mentally for the next challenge, she supposed, when Gin came up to join her. He was smirking, as always, but she could tell that beneath it, he was actually somewhat forlorn. He had to know that there was a good possibility of him going home in a couple of days. "So, Rangiku, what is going on?" he asked quietly.

"What do you mean, what's going on?" Rangiku asked.

"Have you thought anymore about your options?" Gin asked. "I understand that it didn't quite work yesterday, but trust me, no hard feelings there."

She sighed. "Actually, I have," she said quietly.

"And?" he prompted when she didn't say anything else.

"I'm working on it," she said. She looked at him. "I have a better chance of winning against you and Nanao than I do against Renji, Shuhei or Ikkaku. Not just challenges, but the final vote too. I've talked to Soi Fon and I know she's thinking about it, but I can't make any guarantees at this point."

"Do you want me to try to convince her?" he asked, his smirk growing.

"Not today," she said. "Give her some time to think it over before you go and start offering your opinion."

"Oh, fine," he said sullenly. There was a moment of silence. But then, because he just had to know… "Rangiku, just why exactly are you willing to flip and go with me instead? Why are you choosing me over Shuhei?"

"I'm not choosing you over Shuhei," she said quickly, snappily. "This is a move that will take me farther. I'm not doing it for you; I'm doing it for me. Shuhei and I had an agreement with our alliance, but we've never made any personal deal to the final two, like everyone seems to think we have. It's a game, and we've already talked about the fact that one of us is going to have to vote the other out. There are no hard feelings."

He nodded once and stood up, making as if he were going to leave.

"Gin," she said suddenly, just as he was about to walk away.

"Yes?"

"…I've forgiven you, you know," she said, turning her head slightly to give him a very small smile. "For what happened between us years ago. If you were wonding if I was doing this so that I could smash you later on, you're wrong."

His smile grew. "Alright."

* * *

The scene shifted to the next reward challenge. Everyone walked in easily, anticipating a rather simple challenge; at least, that was what they had picked up from the summons. Ichigo was waiting for them, standing on top of what appeared to be a very large target. "What's up?" he asked, smirking. "You guys ready for today's challenge?" Everyone nodded.

"This one is actually very simple," he continued. "You all are gonna be standing on a slightly raised platform about thirty feet away from this actual target. Then you're gonna throw a javelin up at the target on the ground. Whoever throws their javelin closed to the center staff-" he pointed to a staff that stood at the middle of the target, "wins reward. Wanna know what you're playing for?" Everyone nodded again.

"Okay, so the good news is, everybody gets to eat tonight," he said, his smirk growing. "The winner gets a full-on steak dinner with all the trimmings, as well as an open bar." Everyone groaned at that; steak sounded heavenly to them all at the moment. "However, the loser gets a small plate of raw coconut and a glass of water from your camp. Boiled, don't worry 'bout that. So what you eat depends on how well you do today. Make sense? Okay, then, we'll draw for your order and get started."

A few moments later, everyone had lined up in their order by the starting platform. Ichigo was standing near the target, ready to observe where everybody's javelin hit. Ikkaku had drawn first, so he stepped up onto the podium, his javelin in his hand. He took a step back and cocked the weapon in his hand. He stepped forward and launched his javelin, his entire torso twisting with effort. It sailed through the air, hitting the target about four feet to the left of the staff.

"Okay, Ikkaku's currently in first," Ichigo said. He pointed to the mat. "Take your spot. Nanao's next." Nanao stepped up with her javelin. She went through much the same procedure as Ikkaku had, but her javelin was a good twelve feet away from the target. She stepped down and took her spot, behind Ikkaku. They were lining up in the order that they finished.

It was Renji's turn next. He managed to throw his javelin almost right beside Ikkaku's. It was too close to just judge by vision alone. Ichigo brought up a tape measure and measured the distance. It was very close, but Ikkaku's was several inches closer. Renji rolled his eyes in frustration and took his place between Ikkaku and Nanao.

Gin was next. He did better than Nanao by quite a few feet, but was still about six inches behind Renji, so he took the third place spot in line. Rangiku fell about half-way between Nanao and Gin. She was now in fourth place. Soi Fon threw her javelin a couple of inches in front of Gin, taking her spot in third. Shuhei was the last to go. He threw the weapon as hard as he could, obviously wanting to win some food very badly, since he hadn't gotten anything at the auction. And it paid off, too, because he managed to send his javelin into the ground directly to the right of the target. He jumped up in happiness when he won, his arms going up into the arm.

"Shuhei wins reward!" Ichigo said. "Let's get out of here and have lunch."

* * *

A few moments later, they all arrived at a neatly constructed outdoor shelter, with a roof, and walls that only went about half-way up from the ground, leaving enough space for a view of the scenery. There was a long table with six seats along one side and another at the head. "Everyone go ahead and take your seats," Ichigo said, motioning to the table. "Shuhei, you get the head of the table, everyone else line up in order."

Everyone did as he instructed. Shuhei couldn't help but smile in anticipation, excited that he was getting something to eat. "So, Shuhei, you didn't go on the reward with the yacht, did ya?" Ichigo asked, moving over to the bar. Shuhei shook his head. "Then I guess you aren't familiar with many modern drinks," the host guessed. "But since you're friends with Ikkaku and Renji, I'm guessing that it's safe to say you like to drink?"

"Hell yeah, Ichigo," Shuhei said, smirking.

"So tell me, Shuhei, do you like coffee?" Ichigo asked, grabbing a bottle and a glass.

"Yeah, it's okay," Shuhei said. "I only drink it in the mornin' though, when I need somethin' stronger 'n tea to wake me up."

"Okay then," Ichigo said, and he got to work. "And how do you drink it? Black, or with sugar?"

"Black," Shuhei said, frowning. "What're ya doin'?"

"Making your drink," Ichigo said. He put the finishing touches on it and brought it over to Shuhei, setting it down in front of him. "From Russia with love." He smirked and walked away.

Shuhei blinked. "Russia?" he repeated, frowning. "What's Russia?"

"Don't worry about it," Ichigo said. "Now, as the winner of the challenge, you also got the right to let two other people share in the open bar." Everyone inhaled sharply, waiting to see who he'd picked. Some people looked decidedly more hopeful than others.

"Ah, shit," Shuhei said. He took a drink of his cocktail, which just happened to be a Black Russian – hence Ichigo's words. He stared the drink in his hands. "Shit!" he repeated. "That's good! Didn't know ya were a bartender, Ichigo!" He looked over at the host, who was smirking sardonically.

"Well, now ya do," Ichigo said. "Go ahead and pick, so I can get the food out."

"Oh, right," Shuhei said. "Well, I'm gonna hafta to go with Rangiku." She squealed in excitement and got up quickly to go hug him tightly before rushing back over to her seat. "An' then…ah, hell…Renji." He looked over at Ikkaku and muttered, "Sorry." Ikkaku shrugged and just looked away.

"Cocktail newbies," Ichigo said, rubbing his hands together. "And I got the perfect drinks for you." He quickly got together two more glasses of different shapes and sizes and pulled out several different bottles. He finished Rangiku's first; it was a vivid red-orange color, and in a large glass with an orange slice on this side. "Try this," he said, putting it on front of her.

She reached forward eagerly and took a sip out of the straw. Her eyes widened, and she smiled around the straw in her mouth. "What is this?" she asked. "It's really good!"

"Sex on the beach," Ichigo said, smirking, as he went to retrieve Renji's drink.

Rangiku laughed. "No wonder it's so good!" she said mischievously, winking at Shuhei. Everyone laughed at that.

Ichigo then brought over Renji's drink. Renji looked at it and blinked, and then took a good, healthy drink of it. His eyes widened and he pulled away. "Holy shit!" he cursed, staring at this. "What the fuck is this?"

Ikkaku chuckled. "I know what that is," he said. "Some kinda tea from a place called Long Island. Good, ain't it?"

"What the hell is in that tea?" Renji asked. "That ain't no normal tea."

"No," Ichigo agreed. "It's five different types of liquor." Renji's eyes widened. "Vodka, rum, gin, triple sec and tequila. Find it to your liking?"

"Beats the shit outta the tea they serve in Soul Society," Renji said, taking another drink.

Ichigo chuckled. "Okay, then, it's time for the food," he announced. "First, we're gonna bring out Nanao's food." Nanao rolled her eyes as a random Soul Reaper from the technology department brought out a small tray of sliced coconut and a glass of water. "Nanao, you don't look happy," Ichigo noted.

"Of course I'm not happy," Nanao said. "I eat better than this back at our camp! But it's my own fault for doing badly, so I'm only angry at myself." She shrugged.

Ichigo shrugged and motioned for the next dish to come up. Rangiku got a bowl of rice to go with her drink. "You would've gotten tap water, but Shuhei was kind enough to let you share in the open bar. Gin, you're next." Gin was given a ham sandwich and apple juice. He shrugged and said that it wasn't that bad. Next up was Soi Fon. She was lucky enough to get a chef salad and a glass of grape juice.

Renji was up next. "I'm sure that you wanna know what you're getting, Renji," Ichigo said.

"Hell yeah!" Renji said. "I'm starvin'!"

Ichigo nodded and the next guy came out with Renji's food. It turned out to be a couple of hot dogs. Ikkaku scored a burger and fries. He was sure getting a lot of burgers on this island. And then they brought out Shuhei's steak. "Oh my fuckin' god!" Shuhei said when he saw the plate. His eyes never once left the plate as the server placed it from of him. Nanao, at the end of the table, was staring at him sullenly.

"Eat up!" Ichigo said, heading back behind the bar. "This may be the last food you'll get for the rest of your time on the island!"

* * *

By the time they got back to camp that night, Shuhei was piss drink and stumbling all over the place, Ikkaku supporting him on one side and Gin on the other. Renji wasn't quite so bad, able to walk on his own, but he was still giggling almost uncontrollably whenever Shuhei would take a tumble. True to her word, Rangiku didn't seem the least bit tipsy, though there was a pink flush in her cheeks that hadn't been there before.

They brought Shuhei over to the shelter and let him crawl inside, still laughing, to sleep it off. He feel asleep almost instantly. Renji was next; the rest of the tribe practically forced him inside, not wanting to deal with a drunk guy this late at night. Rangiku went inside to cuddle up with Shuhei, probably to sleep off her own buzz.

The rest of the tribe was gathered outside the shelter, near the fire. Soi Fon looked absolutely disgusted. "Alcohol is such a disgusting creation," she said. Nanao nodded. "Shuhei and Renji are two of the worst drunks I've ever seen in my life. How can their bodies possibly hold that much alcohol without rejecting it?"

"Tolerance," Ikkaku said, shrugging. Soi Fon looked up at him, surprised that he'd answered. "Well, they've been drinkin' that much for so long their bodies probably just got accustomed to it."

Nanao shook her head in disgust and sat down across from Soi Fon. "Like my Captain," she said. "I don't think I've ever seen him when he's not had at least one cup of sake. He's constantly inebriated. And the worst thing is that he functions completely normally with it, at least until he's started having several bottles of the vile liquid."

"Now they're completely hammered and we're going to have to suffer when they wake up in the morning with hangovers," Soi Fon said, sighing.

"Yeah, well," Ikkaku said. "If I'd had any of the shit, I'd be just as smashed."

"I know," Soi Fon said. "I don't hold it against them for liking alcohol. I'm just pissed that we have to suffer because they got themselves so inebriated that they couldn't tell right from left."

* * *

"Getting drunk out here is probably one of the least responsible things a person could possibly do," Nanao said to the camera. "Our bodies have been completely decimated out here, and all they're concerned with is drinking. They have to know how harmful that is to their bodies, especially in this state, and yet they still get completely intoxicated." She shook her head. "It's completely and totally irresponsible and disgusting."

* * *

Sure enough, when Renji and Shuhei woke up in the morning, they were nursing massive hangovers. Shuhei couldn't even get out of bed; instead, he just curled up in the fetal position, clenched his eyes shut and feigned sleep for as long as he could. Renji went out to the beach and just lay there on the sand, letting the sun warm him up. Rangiku, on the other hand, was pretty much unharmed. That was surprising, but no one was going to contest it.

When she offered to go and check the mail for a challenge notification, Gin offered to go with her, to make sure that she didn't hurt herself. None of them were sure how exactly she had avoided getting a hangover, but they weren't taking any chances. So they walked to the mail bag, Gin watching her warily, as if he expected her to fall over at any time. But they reached the bag with no mistakes. She reached her hand into the bag and pulled out a triangle-shaped blue flag, words written on it in white paint.

They took the message back to camp and retrieved Renji and Shuhei before reading the note. By now, Renji was doing a bit better, though Shuhei still looked horrible. Rangiku unfurled the flag and began to read the note. "'How are you in water? Do you swim well? Or can you only dog-paddle against the swell? Grab your flags and get back to the beach. If you don't, three more days may be out of your reach.'"

"It's been a while since we've had a swimming challenge," Soi Fon pointed out. Several other people nodded. She didn't have a problem with water; it wasn't her forte, but she wasn't horrible at swimming either. "Well, let's get our stuff together."

Everyone nodded, starting to go their various ways to get what they needed for the challenge. Rangiku set the note down and went to get her tennis shoes, which were – coincidentally, of course – located right next to where Soi Fon was. She walked over and picked up the dirty, sand-encrusted shoes. "So, in regards to the talk that we had yesterday," Soi Fon said quietly. "If I were to go with you, who would you want gone?"

"Renji," Rangiku said quietly.

Soi Fon nodded. "Then you've got to make sure he doesn't win immunity."

* * *

The scene shifted to the immunity challenge. Ichigo was waiting for them expectantly, dressed as always in a pair of cargo shorts and a tank top. "You guys ready for today's challenge?" he asked. "First things first, Soi Fon, I'll need that back." He stepped over and retrieved immunity from the woman and then put it back on its customary resting staff. "Immunity is back up for grabs.

"Today's challenge is, obviously, a swimming challenge," he continued. "You're all gonna swim out to the colored floating buoys in the water. When you get there, swim down and grab one of the three flags attached to the rope beneath it. Swim back up, back to shore, and hang your flag up on your post here. Then you go out again and do the same thing for the other two. First person to get all three flags back here wins. Make sense?" Everyone nodded; only an idiot wouldn't understand this one. "Okay, line up here at the start and we'll get started."

Everyone took off their sneakers – if they'd even worn them in the first place – and took off unnecessary pieces of clothing before lining up at the starting line, waiting for the signal. "Survivors, ready…GO!" Ichigo yelled. All at once, everyone raced for the water. Some people ran out into the waves as far as they could, while others dove facefirst into the water as soon as it was deep enough to swim.

Soon the pack began to break apart as the better swimmers got ahead of the weakers swimmers. Renji was currently leading, Shuhei close behind him, surprisingly, considering his hangoever. Ikkaku was somewhere in the middle with Gin and Soi Fon. Rangiku was a little ways behind him, and Nanao was once again bringing up the rear.

Renji was now at his red buoy. He took a deep breath and dove down, grabbing the highest flag on the rope before resurfacing. After a moment of regaining his breath, he began to swim back to the beach. Shuhei was right behind him with his black flag, though he'd lost a bit of time on the actual flag-retrieving part. By the time he began to make his way back to the beach, Ikkaku, Gin and Soi Fon had all reached their buoys.

Soon, Renji reached the beach and ran up to the post, hanging up his first flag before going back to the water and diving in. Shuhe came in about a minute later, the next three a couple of minutes after that. By the time Nanao had gone back to shore, Renji was already coming back with his second flag. He looked so determined – and, Ichigo thought, a bit like Poseidon out there with his hair down – as he swam back that he was going to win.

Renji came back his second flag soon after that and went out for his third and final one, breathing hard. As simple as this was, a full-body exercise like swimming was hard when you hadn't been eating well for almost thirty days now. Everyone else came back in their respective order, everyone breathing hard now. Nanao and Rangiku were only barely dragging their bodies out of the water by the time they got to shore with their second flags.

By now, Renji was almost back to shore with his final flag. He stood up when he was able to, dragging himself up to the post. He was tired that Ichigo could practically hear his heart beating wildly against his chest. He was certainly breathing hard enough as he reached up and put his final flag up on the post.

"Just like that, Renji wins immunity!" Ichigo said. Everyone else stopped where they were and began to come back to shore, albeit slowly. Renji slowly walked over to where Ichigo was standing, grinning in exhaustion. Ichigo put the sword around the red-head's shoulder. "For one of you all, this is gonna be your last night. Head on back to camp."

* * *

Rangiku was scrambling when she got back to camp. It had been her plan to oust Renji tonight, but, obviously, he'd won immunity, preventing that from happening. That left Ikkaku and Shuhei. It proved to be an interesting situation. Ikkaku would be easier on her to vote out, as well as the target Soi Fon would be most likely to vote out. But if she voted out Ikkaku, Shuhei would know that she'd completely flipped over with Gin and feel horribly betrayed, probably not wanting anything to do with her for a while. So, it would be easier on her to blindside him first and then not have to face him until after things had calmed down a bit.

She sighed. And, of course, the whole camp needed coconuts for lunch. Wasn't just wonderful? She walked out dejectedly towards the beach, looking for stray coconuts that might be eaten. A few moments later, Soi Fon joined her. "Well, he won," she said quietly. Rangiku snorted. "Who would be your next target?"

"Mine, personally?" Rangiku asked softly. "Or the one I'm willing to go for?"

"Your personal choice," Soi Fon replied, picking up several coconuts in her arms.

"…Shuhei," Rangiku murmured.

"What?!" Soi Fon asked sharply.

"Well, think about it," Rangiku said quickly. "If you go with us and vote out one of the three of them, then the other two of them are going to be mad at us. Renji will be bad enough. But Shuhei will think that I've completely betrayed him, and probably won't want anything to do with me or the rest of us for a while. He's real big on his honor, you know? If we blindside him, I don't have to talk to him until he's had a chance to calm down and think about things logically."

Soi Fon nodded. "Yes, it does make sense for you," she said quietly. "And then you would get rid of Ikkaku and Renji. But at four, who would you send home?"

Rangiku shrugged. "When it gets to four, we can pretty much decide," she responded. "Obviously, I promised to never vote for Nanao, so I won't be going against that. We could either vote out Gin, or you could force a tie and leave it up to an individual immunity challenge to decide. Whatever you felt more comfortable with."

Soi Fon sighed. "I still don't know what I'm doing tonight," she admitted. "Your plan is probably better for me, but I'm the one who has to look like a deceitful bastard who flipped alliances."

"We all will," Rangiku said, frowning. "We're in this alliance too, remember?"

"Yeah, but it was a pretty solid fact that you and Nanao were out five and six," Soi Fon told her. "Plus I've been with Shuhei and Renji from day three, pretty much. It would be a deeper betrayal if I flipped on them."

"I understand," Rangiku said. "But on the other hand, I know that Shuhei and Renji have an alliance to the final two. And they won't break that with each other. But Shuhei still lied about that right to my face. He told me that he had no alliance to Renji besides the main one."

"He told you that?" Soi Fon asked, frowning.

"Yeah," Rangiku said, nodding. "He's set himself up in a good position. If he makes it the finals, he can honestly say that he didn't really have to backstab anyone to get there. And that's dangerous for whoever goes up next to him."

"If what you're saying is true, then Shuhei started lying a long time ago," Soi Fon said thoughtfully. She sighed. "Well I'm going to have to think about this for a while longer. I'll let you know my decision in a little while."

* * *

"Now I understand what position Ikkaku was in after the merge," Soi Fon said, smiling grimly. "Rangiku's revealing things to me that I wasn't aware of. I mean, I had my suspicions that Renji and Shuhei were together until the end. But I wasn't aware that he'd lied about that to Rangiku's face. That makes you question things; because if he's lied to _her, _then he has to have lied to me. And I want to go with the guys to the end, but if they're not going to take me past four, then, I might need to do some flipping, however much of a bastard it makes me look."

* * *

Shuhei and Renji were out on the rocks, looking around for mussels or snails to eat. "So we're doin' Gin tonight?" Renji asked quietly.

"Yeah," Shuhei said. He looked around over his shoulder as if he was afraid that he was being watched. "I dunno though, I've been gettin' this weird feelin' for the past few days."

"Feelin'?" Renji asked, straightening up. "What're ya talkin' 'bout?"

"I dunno," Shuhei said, shaking his head. "I just got this feelin' that we might be in a bad situation."

"What, ya think someone's flippin' on us?" Renji asked. Shuhei nodded. Renji snorted. "Seriously, Shuhei, who's gonna flip on us? Gin and those girls have pretty much proven that they ain't gonna do anythin'. Nanao's ridden our coattails since before the merge, Soi Fon ain't flippin' and Rangiku basically is just waitin' to go home."

"Eh, maybe I'm just worryin' 'bout nothin'," Shuhei said uncertainly. "You really don't think we're in any trouble?"

"Nope," Renji said. "I would be completely shocked if ya went home tonight."

* * *

The scene shifted to tribal council that night. The members of Seikahou moved in, placing their torches in their customary spots before sitting down. "We'll now bring in the members of the jury," Ichigo said. "Rukia, and Ulquiorra, voted out last tribal council." Rukia walked in, wearing a flowery white sundress. And then came in Ulquiorra, wearing a button-down white shirt and black shorts. He'd trimmed his hair since the last time they'd seen him, and was looking a lot more like himself. Ichigo sat himself down then.

"So, we're down to seven," he said, grinning. "It has to feel good, knowing that you're in the final stages of this game. But then again…if there was ever a time to flip, it's at seven or five, when you have odd numbers. This is the first big time when you've had a chance to seriously flip sides. Renji, you worried about that at all?"

"To be honest, no," Renji said. "I mean, obviously, I ain't goin' anywhere tonight." He laughed. "But I haven't heard anythin' suspicious, and I haven't seen anyone goin' off in the bushes to talk anymore than everyone always does. And hey, I could be wrong, but I don't think my alliance has anythin' to worry 'bout at this point."

"Gin, do you think that Renji saying that makes him stupid?" Ichigo asked.

"I wouldn't say stupid," Gin said, smirking. "Perhaps the word that I would use would be…arrogant."

Soi Fon nodded. "You can't be certain of anything that is going to happen in this game," she said. "I mean, if you get complacent for one second, you'll be going home. You have to be constantly on your toes, constantly looking out at what people are doing. In the end, this game is so much more mental than it was in the beginning. I mean, you'll lay there and pretend to take a nap while you're really listening in on conversations." She laughed. "It's ridiculous!"

"Shuhei, would you ever consider flipping alliances?" Ichigo asked.

"No," Shuhei said, without thought.

"That sure of your alliance?" Ichigo asked in surprise.

"Yep," Shuhei said. "They ain't done anythin' so far to prove my trust wrong, so I'm gonna stick with 'em for as long as I can."

"Nanao, what do you think when you hear what he just said?" Ichigo asked.

"Honestly, I think it's somewhat naïve," Nanao said. Renji rolled his eyes, smirking at Ikkaku. "If you think that people won't betray you for a prize as good as this, then you're stupid. I mean, Ikkaku betrayed his former tribe. And I know that the circumstances were a bit different then, but it's the same principle."

"Ikkaku, you agree with that?" Ichigo asked.

"Well," Ikkaku said, sighing. "It _is _the same principle, ya know, betrayal. I dunno if people are willin' to betray people just by lookin' at 'em. I mean, in a way, I think that betrayal hurts more now than it did then." In the jury section, Rukia rolled her eyes, muttering something to Ulquiorra, who nodded. "I mean, it hurt then, but now, when you're so frickin' close to winnin', it's almost like a deeper betrayal. That's my take on it anyways."

"Okay, then," Ichigo said. "It is time to vote. Gin, you're up first." The man stood up and walked up to the confessional, casting his vote. Everyone else went after him, casting their votes. Soi Fon took the longest to decide what she was doing; finally, she sighed and just wrote down a name. "Sorry," she added to the camera.

"I'll go get the votes," Ichigo said, going up to retrieve the ballots. He brought them back and placed them on their standard podium. "I'll remind you guys that once the votes have been read, the decision is final, and the person voted out will be asked to leave the tribal council area immediately. I'll read the votes. First vote: Gin.

"Next vote: Shuhei. Gin. Gin. Shuhei." At that, Shuhei's head shot up. He frowned, looking around at the members of his alliance. Renji looked just as startled as he did. "Shuhei." Ikkaku buried his head in his hands, knowing where this was going. Ichigo pulled up the last slip of paper. "The fourteenth person voted out of Survivor: Soul Reaper Style – Shuhei. Four votes is enough, it's time to bring me your torch."

Shuhei stood up and sighed. "Well, that was nice," he said. Rukia's eyes were practically bulging out of their sockets, she was so shocked. Ulquiorra was just smiling at Gin, who was smirking back at them. Renji looked floored and Ikkaku looked like he'd just been told Christmas had been cancelled. Shuhei brought his torch over to Ichigo.

"Shuhei, the tribe has spoken," Ichigo said, extinguishing his torch. "It's time for you to go." He slowly turned around and walked out of the area. When Ichigo faced the rest of them, he was smiling broadly. "Blindsided. Nice. That's how you vote someone out! You're got nine days left out here. And obviously, the alliances you thought you had, Renji? They aren't too strong." Renji rolled his eyes. "It's gonna be interesting to see what happens next. Grab your torches, go ahead and head back to camp."

And so ended episode twelve.

* * *

Shuhei's final words: "I can't believe how incredibly horrible I feel right now," he admitted. "I told myself that it was a game an' that I wouldn't feel bad when I got voted out, but…it hurts. Ouch. An' they couldn't even have told me I was goin'? They freakin' blindsided me." He shook his head. "Man, I don't even know what to say right now. But I sure as hell didn't expect that."

* * *

I told you this episode was pivotal. Completely changes the way this game is going to go. And I know who's going to win. I'm excited. Lol, but oh my gosh, listen to this. So I was typing part of this chapter out last night. And this whole story is by now over 200 pages in Word. And you know, since all of the names are Japanese they aren't recognized in the dictionary, and with the way Renji, Shuhei and Ikkaku's accents are, it makes little smidges of words that Word doesn't recognize. So there were a lot of spelling errors. And all of a sudden, this little box comes up and says "Warning! There are too many spelling and grammar mistakes in this document for Word to show them all!" I was like...oh...my...fucking...god...no way!! Who knew that you make so many mistakes that even Word can't get them all?? Not even my mom, who's like a computer wizard. It was funny.

Anyways, thanks for all the reviews!! Almost 150!!


	22. Bets

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Bleach or Survivor. I just stuck the two of them together.

**Rating: **T

**A/N: **Well, I already had this chapter written, just because I was in a strangely crack-writing mood last night. So you guys get the next chapter earlier than I'd anticipated. Oh well, your gain, lol. This one was fun to write, lol. Crack is just fun to write. Maybe that's why they call it crack - it's so addicting, lol. Either way, I'll shut up now. Thanks again for all the reviews!!

* * *

**Soul Reaper Survivor  
****Bets – 1. I Don't Lose  
2. If I DO Lose, Please Refer to Rule Number One**

Urahara stared up proudly at the giant board he'd just finished updating. He was currently in charge of all the bets being placed on who was going to win this Survivor game. He had an idea of who was going to win – not that he knew, of course not – but he wasn't going to reveal that to anybody. Not even Yoruichi, who'd tried her damnedest to pry the answer from him. A lot of people were betting on Rangiku and Soi Fon.

Just then Yoruichi came up behind him, leaning her elbow comfortably on his shoulder as she looked up at the board. "Soi Fon's doing pretty well," she noted. "And so is Rangiku." He smirked behind his fan, knowing full well that she was trying to get him to give her some clue about the final outcome. She peeked at him out of the corners of her eyes. "Fine, don't say anything. You know I'll figure it out eventually."

"Of course," Urahara said, his smirk growing.

"Though I have to admit, I have no idea how you figured out this one," Yoruichi admitted. "Did you bribe Ichigo or something?"

"Now, Yoruichi, you know that I'm above bribing other people!" Urahara said, pretending to be offended. "Besides, what on earth would I bribe Ichigo with?"

She shrugged. "Surely you have something in that shop of yours that he'd want?" she guessed.

"My shop sells candy," Urahara said. "If you're suggesting that I sell things that are less than perfectly legal, I'm afraid I'll have to take offense."

"Wouldn't have it any other way," Yoruichi said. "But you know, there's only three episodes left. I'm going to find out who wins eventually."

"Yes, but you'll still have to wait just like everyone else," he pointed out.

"I don't want to wait," she said sullenly, pouting at him. "Won't you tell me?"

"No," he said, smirking.

"You're not being very nice," she said, crossing her arms over her chest.

"I don't recall ever mentioning that I was nice," he said, snapping his fan shut and putting it away. He started to walk away, but stopped when Yoruichi used shunpo to move in front of him rapidly. He blinked down at her.

"I figured it out!" she said triumphantly. "You snuck into the Technology Department last week and hacked into their computers to find out who won! It fits perfectly! That's why Kurotsuchi went crazy about someone getting past the barriers he'd set up. Only you could possibly break one of his codes." She smiled at him smugly.

"Yoruichi, what you're implying is illegal," he pointed out; his smirk, however, remained firmly in place.

"Since when has that ever stopped you?" she asked, raising an eyebrow and grinning crookedly.

He shrugged. "That point is duly noted."

* * *

Meanwhile, over at Captain Kyoraku's house, there was a small gathering of sorts going on. Kyoraku had wanted to host a little meeting with some of the other Captains to place bets on who was going to win this game. And of course, being himself, there was quite a bit of alcohol involved – though since that new bar had opened, his preferences had switched from sake to rum. He found the taste quite addictive, but it always ran out at the worst times (**A/N: why is the rum gone?? XD**).

Ukitake was drinking delicately out of his glass of rum. He wasn't as fond of the stuff as his best friend was – but then again, with his health, he'd never been a big drinker. "So who are you betting on, Shunsui?" he asked, though he already knew the answer.

"My sweet little Nanao, of course!" Kyoraku said. "Though I wouldn't mind seeing Rangiku win either. But they're working together, isn't that wonderful? Two of my favorite people!" He crowed happily.

"You're just saying that because they're both attractive women," Kurotsuchi put in sourly. No one was quite sure why he was here – he hadn't been invited, but it would've been rude to make him go away. So here he was, sitting down on the grass in Kyoraku's garden, sipping at his drink.

"Do you have a problem with attractive women?" Kyoraku asked, frowning. "There can never be enough of them in my opinion!" Ukitake rolled his eyes and sighed lightly at his friend's remark. It was just so…Shunsui.

"There is more to life than attractive women," Kurotsuchi sniffed.

"Like what?" Kyoraku asked in all seriourness.

"Well…" Kurotsuchi said, thinking. "Science for one thing."

"Science?" Kyoraku asked, scowling. "But you can't kiss science. Or touch it. Or-"

"I believe that we get your point," Byakuya added coldly. He hadn't wanted to come to this little get-together, but it would have been rude to decline, and he was not one to be called rude. He took a light drink of his tea, having forsaken the vile drink Kyoraku had taken a liking to. Rum, was that it? Even the name of it sounded vile.

"Well, who are you betting for, Byakuya?" Ukitake asked, trying to bring a less tense atmosphere back into this gathering. It was supposed to be light-hearted for heaven's sake! And while he understood that being light-hearted was a bit hard for the icy Captain of the sixth division, he didn't have to be quite so uptight all the time.

"I do not gamble," was the quiet answer.

"Well, it's not really gambling," Ukitake said quickly. "You don't have to actually bet money if you don't want to. We were just wondering who you think is going to win."

"I already know who is going to win this game," Byakuya said confidently, taking another sip of his tea.

"Really?" Kyoraku asked. "How did you find that out?"

Byakuya rolled his eyes. "It would not take a genius to figure such a thing out when there are only six contestants left," he said. "If perhaps you would open your eyes, you might see the obvious winner as well."

Kyoraku sat back, not quite knowing what to think of that. Ukitake laughed nervously and turned to the other remaining Captain there, Tosen. "So, Kaname, who do you suppose is going to win?" he asked, hoping that the blind man would give a simple answer.

"I am rooting for Gin," he announced calmly. "He has taken the path that has proved the least traitorous."

"Oh, come on, man, it's a game," Kurotsuchi said, rolling his eyes. "You don't honestly think that that game has any correlation with real life circumstances, do you? It's not against the rules or anything to backstab people."

"It is against my own personal morals," Tosen said quietly.

Kurotsuchi stared at him for a moment. "You would do horribly in that game," he announced.

"And you would do any better?" Kyoraku asked, laughing. "Everyone calls you Captain Freak Show behind your back!" He went off in a fit of laughter. Well, at least the rum was working well.

"What?!" Kurotsuchi demanded. "I demand to know who said those things!"

As the two Captains began bickering back and forth, Ukitake sighed. This gathering was a lost cause. It would be better to graciously give up now than to try and honestly bring back some sort of quiet camaraderie.

* * *

Kenpachi Zaraki stared out at the practice fields where the men (and a few women) of his division were training. They weren't very strong, but at least they had spirit. He could've taken most of them out with his eyes closed and his hands tied behind his back. He sighed and crossed his arms over his chest. Yachiru, having heard the sound, looked up at him, frowning. "What's wrong, Ken-chan?" she asked.

"Nothing," Kenpachi said, sitting down on a bench. "It's just boring with no one here strong enough to fight me."

"But you should be happy!" Yachiru said, smiling. "That means you're the strongest!"

He snorted. "Guess that's right," he said.

Yachiru hopped up onto the bench next to him. "So who do you think is gonna win that game?" she asked. "Boobies? Baldy? Bitch Ninja?"

"What?" Kenpachi asked sharply, looking down at her. "Who's 'Bitch Ninja'?"

"The skinny girl with the black hair," Yachiru said innocently.

"Well, you shouldn't say words like 'bitch', Yachiru," Kenpachi said gruffly. He really wasn't good at this whole "father" thing, but he should at least try to keep her language clean. Who knew the kind of names she'd come up with if she added in expletives? "Her name is Soi Fon."

"But that's what Ichi called her!" Yachiru protested.

"He did, did he?" a carefully controlled voice asked. Both Kenpachi and Yachiru turned to look at the newcomer. Soi Fon was standing there, her arms crossed over her chest and a furious expression on her face.

"Look, Ken-chan, it's Bitch Ninja!" Yachiru said happily, standing up and pointing at Soi Fon as she jumped up and down.

"Yachiru, don't call her that," Kenpachi said. "Come up with something else."

"Like what?" Yachiru asked. She put a finger to her chin, thinking hard. "I can't think of anything else!"

"Yachiru, when did Ichigo call me that?" Soi Fon asked, bending down to stare the pink-haired lieutenant in the eyes.

"Hmm…let's see…" Yachiru said, thinking hard. "It was…yesterday I think. Or maybe a couple days ago. I don't remember!"

"Oh, I'll make sure that he remembers never to call me that again," Soi Fon said, storming off. Kenpachi watched her go; why had she even been here in the first place? He shrugged, resuming his watching of his division.

"Ken-chan?" Yachiru asked, sitting back down and eating a piece of candy that she'd taken out of her shihakusho.

"Yeah?" Kenpachi asked.

"What's a bitch?"

* * *

Lol, I can only image Kenpachi trying to explain to Yachiru what a bitch is XD. Whenever they have that conversation, I wanna be there to listen in, tehe. Anyways, I'm working on the next episode, and it's about...maybe a fifth of the way done so far. I'm leaving tomorrow night to spend the weekend with a friend of mine for her birthday, so it probably won't be out until Saturday or Sunday. Sorry!

But also, I'm working a little piece of art to go with this story. I've been lacking good inspiration for drawing stuff lately, so I decided to draw pictures of all the people going in the final four. I'll put them up on my deviantArt after I upload episode fourteen, the next to last one. So far I've got two of four done and lemme say this - boobs are a total bitch to draw. They suck, almost as much as hands do. Seriously, no joke. I hate drawing boobs. Unfortunately...there is at least one female in the final four. sighs

Anyways, lol. Thanks for all the reviews and don't forget the popularity poll!


	23. Episode 13

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Bleach or Survivor. I just stuck the two of them together.

**Rating: **T

**A/N: **Oy vey!! This chapter took me forever to finish. I know, I know, I said that it would be out by Saturday or Sunday. Yeah, I really blew that one. But I do kinda have excuses...you see, my keyboard broke, so I have to use this new retarded one that makes noises at me and hurts me fingers cause I actually have to press down really hard on the buttons to get any response at all...which sucks. And then classes started again, and I have lots of work to do. But anyways, here's chapter thirteen!! And sorry again for the wait (still hoping to be forgiven, lol)!!

* * *

**Episode Thirteen  
Where's my Miracle?**

As soon as the Seikahou tribe returned from tribal council on night thirty, the tempers flew and accusations began. Renji took off individual immunity from around his shoulders and threw it on the ground angrily, stalking off into camp like some sort of angry beast. Ikkaku wasn't far behind, a murderous gleam in his eyes. The rest of the tribe acted more normally, coming into camp, setting their things down and either going to bed or sitting around the fire.

Soi Fon sat down by the fire, propping her head up on her hands. She looked up at Renji, who was across from her, staring off at the shelter. "Look, Renji, I'm sorry," she began quietly. After all, she didn't want him to be mad at her; it was only a game, right?

He turned to look at her, and there was such a venomous gleam in his eyes that she recoiled involuntarily. "Sorry doesn't even begin to cover it," he said coldly. "I have nothin' to say to ya."

"Renji, it's a game," she said, irritated that he was being so immature about things. "You have to do what's in your best interest."

"Soi Fon, do ya know how many people on the jury you've pissed off now?" he demanded. "Shuhei, me 'n Ikkaku ain't gonna vote for ya in the finals. That's three outta seven votes that ya sure as hell ain't gettin'. Ya just screwed over your chances of winnin' this thing!"

"You don't know that," she said. "It's impossible to know what anybody will be thinking at the final tribal council. If you're really going to be so petty as to let something like this ruin your opinion of me, then you're really immature and need to grow up." She stood up and started to move towards the shelter.

"What the hell did ya just say?" Renji said angrily. "Are ya fuckin' kiddin' me?"

"You heard me," Soi Fon said, narrowing her eyes.

"I just got backstabbed by someone that told me they were on my side an' I'm supposed to be happy 'bout it, that it?" he asked, his voice getting louder. "What the hell're ya on, Soi Fon? Am I supposed to be all happy? That 'it's just a game' bullshit! God dammit! Ya know that ain't it!"

"You weren't on my side!" she yelled defensively. "You and Shuhei were in it to the end!"

"I made that alliance before ya ever talked to me!" he said. "Ya were with Yumichika in an alliance to the end, an' ya were the one who backstabbed him! So don't gimme that shit 'bout how I was with Shuhei!"

"And I was supposed to believe it on good faith that you and Shuhei would've taken me over Ikkaku to the final three?" she demanded, her fists clenched at her sides. "You three were so tight that you would've never taken me! I had to do what was right for me!"

"An' so ya fucked me over!" Renji said.

"I did what was in my best interest!" Soi Fon screamed. "And I'm sorry that that wasn't in your plan! This is a game, and ultimately, it's everyone for themselves! I did what I had to to make sure that I was going farther in this game! If you can't accept that, then grow up and get over yourself!" And with that, she stalked off to the shelter, ready for a night's sleep.

* * *

"I guess I should've expected this fight when I got back to camp," Soi Fon confessed the next morning. "But I hated how Renji acted as if he was the only one who'd been wronged in this whole situation. He didn't even deny that he and Shuhei had an alliance to the end. I don't understand how he could possibly think that I would go with those three to the finals when it was clear that they weren't going to take me any farther than four. This is a game, and you have to do what it takes to make your chances better." She shook her head. "If he can't see that, then he's stupid as well as blind."

* * *

The morning of day thirty-one was cloudy and somewhat cold. Rangiku was sitting out on the beach in her jacket, scrubbing pots with Nanao. Both women looked tired and miserable. "That was some argument last night, huh?" Nanao finally offered up to the silence.

Rangiku snorted. "Yeah," she said quietly. "I knew that Renji and Ikkaku were gonna be pissed, but I didn't think that Soi Fon would go off at Renji like that."

"Yeah," Nanao said quietly. "Though to be honest, they both had their reasons to be upset. I would've been pissed off if I'd been betrayed like that. But it is just a game; I think Renji's having a tough time seeing that."

"I think it's because Renji's so loyal," Rangiku said. "This game has to be hard on his morals."

"Morals," Nanao said, shaking her head. "You can't honestly come into this game expecting to play with morals. And it's just a game; everyone knows that we're nothing like this in real life."

"You really believe that?" Rangiku asked, smirking a bit.

"Well, to an extent," Nanao said. She thought about it a bit more. "Well, no not really."

* * *

"This game…it takes away everything from our lives that we are used to," Nanao explained. "We're living here without our families, friends, comforts, homes, and we have limited sources of food and water. We are living with only the bare minimum. But this game is more than just a physical hardship. No, it does so much more than that. As humans, we have many different layers to our personalities, and we don't let everyone see all of those layers. This game…it strips away all of our hiding layers and exposes who we are at the core of our being." She shook her head. "It shows everyone exactly how you are on the inside, and what goes on inside your head."

* * *

Renji and Ikkaku had left the camp to go scouring the rocks for food early that morning, unable to stand being around Soi Fon – or any of the other women, to be precise – for very long. Soi Fon was number one on their bad list, but Rangiku and Nanao weren't far behind. They at least had honestly had something to gain by flipping sides. Soi Fon had just pissed everyone off. Renji sighed and sat down on a rock, running his fingers through his tangled hair. "We are so fucked," he said.

Ikkaku snorted. "Yeah," he said. "I don't even know how to act around camp anymore."

"It's funny how everythin' can change in just five seconds," Renji pointed out. "We went from bein' the powerhouses to bein' the outcasts." He shook his head. "I just can't believe Soi Fon flipped on us. We were guaranteed final four. Final fuckin' four!"

"Well, people get greedy," Ikkaku said. "An' greedy people turn into paranoid people."

"Damn straight," Renji said. "I shoulda know better than to trust her."

"Why?" Ikkaku asked, sitting down on a rock across from him. "She do somethin' like this before?"

"Not exactly," Renji said. "But she was the one who wanted Yumichika gone. She was the one who pushed to get him gone. An' they'd made an alliance to the final two." He snorted. "If she was willin' to betray someone like that, I shoulda known that she'd betray us if it was good for her."

"She was the one who wanted Yumichika gone?" Ikkaku asked, frowning.

"She brought it up," Renji affirmed, nodding. "Me 'n Shuhei weren't gonna vote him out until we had to, which wouldn't have been until now. But she kept pushin' an' pushin' so there wasn't anythin' we could do 'bout it. Even if we'd said no, she'd have gone to everyone else an' gotten him out that way. Thinkin' back on it, I'm ashamed of votin' that way."

"Well, I was pretty mad 'bout it for a while," Ikkaku admitted, grinning a bit. "But I can at least understand why ya did it. But knowin' that Soi Fon orchestrated the whole thing? Man…she ain't gettin' on anybody's good side, is she?"

"I told her that last night," Renji said. "No one on the jury's gonna vote for her."

"Two-timin' bitch," Ikkaku muttered.

"Sad thing is, she'll probably go to the final two," Renji said, sighing.

"Why?"

"Think 'bout it," Renji said. "Most people on the jury hate her because she screwed them over at some point. So there's no way in hell they'll vote for her to win. If you've got a person that no one likes, ya wanna take 'em with ya to the finals because it's an immediate victory. A frickin' KO."

"But who would she take with her?" Ikkaku asked. "She's gonna wanna take someone that ain't liked either so she can win."

"Even up her chances," Renji agreed. "I dunno…I'm pretty mad at Rangiku an' Nanao though."

"Why didn't ya go off at 'em like ya did at Soi Fon?" Ikkaku asked curiously.

"Because they had an honest reason to flip," Renji stated. "They were out fifth an' sixth, so they made a move to stay 'round a bit longer. Soi Fon already had four at the worst; she coulda easily continued on with us an' gotten to the final two. But she flipped anyways."

Ikkaku shook his head. "Ya know, I was totally right 'bout this game," he said, getting up and resuming his quest for food. "It ain't nice."

* * *

It was Soi Fon's turn to check for mail about midday. She went alone this time, needing to use the time to think. Her game had just gotten a lot harder. She was in an alliance to the finals, and she knew that she could make it to the final two without breaking a sweat. But who was she going to take with her? Who did she have a chance of beating? Nanao was too smart; she would talk her way into the prize. Rangiku was too charming; she'd flirt the socks off the jury, man or woman. Gin…he would just present the raw facts and then cleverly trap people into voting for him.

She sighed; Gin had what Nanao and Rangiku didn't. He had the former Shireyu members on his side. There was no way that Rukia or Ulquiorra would vote for her over Gin; it just wasn't happening. It only took four votes to win, and that was two of them. Add in the fact that Renji, Ikkaku and Shuhei were so pissed at her that they would never vote for her and Gin had this game beat. That left Nanao and Rangiku.

Rangiku was an interesting case. She could potentially garner votes because she had always kept herself low-key, "flying under the radar" so to speak, yet she had worked hard to get herself into a good position. She'd maneuvered both Rukia and Shuhei out of the game without bringing much suspicion upon herself. Some people on the jury might vote for her simply because she had been able to play behind the scenes and still make an impact.

Nanao was different. Soi Fon knew that a lot of people weren't enamored with the way she'd played the game; the woman had ridden the coattails of the stronger people in her alliance all the way. If she hadn't made a pact with Rangiku early on in the game, she would have been gone a long time ago. She owed Rangiku for getting this far. She hadn't done anything strategic at all; if anything, she'd just been an extra vote. Still…she could argue that riding coattails was a good strategy because you were just using people to get to where you could defend yourself – in the final two.

Soi Fon sighed as she reached the mailbag. This certainly wasn't getting any less complicated. She frowned when she didn't feel anything. She pulled her hand back out and looked inside, wondering if she'd somehow missed it. But the bag was empty. "Huh," she said, turning around and slowly walking back to camp. Everyone else was waiting for her,for the message. They all frowned when she returned empty-handed. "There wasn't anything there," she said.

"Maybe we aren't having a reward challenge this time," Nanao said thoughtfully.

"Maybe," Rangiku said, nodding.

There was silence for a moment. "So…whadda we do now?" Renji asked, looking up from his seat on a log. "Do we just wait till they come an' get us?"

"We'll just check the mail again in an hour," Soi Fon said. "Maybe it's just later tonight."

* * *

"I was kind of startled when Soi Fon came back into camp and told us that there wasn't a message," Nanao admitted. "We've never _not _had a reward challenge before, but there's nothing in the rules that says there has to be one every three days. And Ichigo did say at the last challenge that it might be the last meal we'd get out here." She shook her head. "I don't know what's happening. We've all been thrown a curveball this time."

* * *

Later that night, there still was no sign of a summons to a challenge. Everyone was nervous now, wondering exactly what was going on. And it showed too. Some people were pacing around camp anxiously, looking up every now and then to scour the beach. Perhaps they believed that Ichigo would come and explain things to them? A few others were sitting around the fire, twiddling their thumbs or playing absently with their hair. And some were just standing around, their arms crossed over their chests.

A few moments later, Rangiku sighed. "Okay, this is getting ridiculous," she said. Everyone turned to look at her. "Obviously, there isn't going to be a challenge today. Can we please just stop acting like the world is about to end?"

"Yeah, you're probably right," Nanao said, bemused.

"So, should we just go to sleep or somethin'?" Renji asked.

"Do whatever you want," Rangiku said, shrugging. "I'm not your nanny."

Renji rolled his eyes and walked off to the shelter, Ikkaku close behind. Gin, who was sitting across from Rangiku, smirked at her words. "I think you made them mad," he said.

"I don't care," Rangiku said, smiling a bit. "They're just angry with me because I flipped on them and voted out Shuhei." Her grin faded and she sighed. "I _do_ feel bad about that, but this is a game. I did what I had to to stay in it. Does that make me a bad person?"

"I don't think so," Gin offered quietly.

"Of course you don't think so," Rangiku said. "By voting out Shuhei, I kept you in this game."

"I don't think that it makes you a bad person either," Nanao said. "This is ultimately a game, and everyone wants to win. It doesn't make you a bad person just because you took the necessary steps in order to stay in the competition."

"That's easy to say," Rangiku mused, "But I know that Shuhei has to be completely pissed at me; Renji and Ikkaku too. I know that they understand that it's just a game, but they take things more personally than I do." She sighed. "I just hope they don't stay mad at me for too long. If they do, I'll have to find new drinking partners!"

* * *

"Rangiku plays dumb while she's in Soul Society, in order to get her way," Gin revealed to the camera. "She's not always that way, believe me. I've known her the longest out of anybody and she's not what people think she is. Beneath the ditzy exterior is a _very _intelligent woman."

* * *

Day thirty-one dawned bright and shiny. The weather looked promising today, a welcome relief from the rainy and dreary weather that had been plaguing them lately. Soi Fon was up early, along with Ikkaku. They weren't really talking, but they were at least working together to get the fire going again and boil some water. Once they were finished with those chores, Soi Fon left to go get some coconuts out of the pile on the right side of camp, and Ikkaku went to get some firewood from the pile on the left side of camp. But of course, those actions brought them back together at the center of camp eventually.

Ikkaku sat down on a log and began to break off pieces of wood, putting them around the edges of the fire. Soi Fon grabbed the machete and began to cut up the coconuts, putting the pieces in a frying pan. Once she was finished, she sat down and set the pan over the fire, leaving the handle out of the flames so that she could pull it back out. She looked over at Ikkaku; he was studiously avoiding her gaze.

"So…" she said lamely. He looked up once and then went back to breaking off pieces of wood. "I suppose you're mad at me, too?"

He shrugged. "Well, not as much as Renji, cause I didn't have that whole alliance from day one crap," he said quietly. "But then again, it was you who rallied to get Yumichika gone, an' I'm just now findin' out 'bout that. So ya ain't on the top of my list right now, no."

"You understand why I wanted Yumichika gone though, right?" she asked.

"I know what Renji an' Shuhei told me," he said, finally meeting her eyes and keeping them there.

"What did they tell you?"

"That you guys were afraid that if it got to the merge, the two of us woulda teamed up an' never voted each other out," he said summarily. "We woulda been an unbeatable team an' taken the whole goddamn thing."

"Well, that's true, isn't it?" she asked. "I couldn't see you voting for Yumichika, or him for you."

"Yeah, it's true, but that's beside the point," Ikkaku said, shaking his head. "Ya coulda taken both of us instead of Rangiku an' Nanao to the final five. Then you, Shuhei an' Renji coulda voted me n' Yumichika off. You'd have had the numbers."

"But in order to do that, I would've had to place my trust in the hands of four guys who are all friends outside this game," Soi Fon pointed out. "Don't you think it would have been just as easy to vote me out and then figure something out at four?"

"Sure," he said, shrugging. "But it's just as decent a chance as the one ya have now that you've betrayed your former alliance." He chuckled darkly. "The only thing I would say, Soi Fon, is that if ya get to the final two…watch out."

* * *

"Tch, she asked me if I was fuckin' mad at her for betrayin' me 'n Renji 'n Shuhei last night," Ikkaku said, shaking his head. "Who the hell woulda been happy?" He threw his hands up in the arm in a god-help-me gesture. "An' then she had the arrogance to tell me that votin' for Yumichika was purely for the good of her alliance. Yeah, that same alliance that she completely betrayed just two days ago. That one. I dunno how she thinks she's gonna win, since no one on this jury likes her anymore. Honestly, I think it's gonna be a frickin' KO no matter who she goes up against."

* * *

Later on that day, Renji approached Rangiku cautiously. She looked up at him as he approached her, frowning. Why on earth would Renji want to talk to her? She was positive that she wasn't very high up on his good list at the moment. "Would ya mind takin' a walk with me?" he asked quietly, shoving his hands into the pockets of his shorts.

Rangiku nodded, puzzled, and stood up, following the red-head as he started to walk down the beach a ways. They didn't say anything as they walked; when Renji finally stopped at a little shady spot in the sand, they sat down. Since he'd been the one to initiate this whole thing, she waited politely for him to speak first, as she knew he would. And speak he did. "Were ya completely stringin' Shuhei along this entire time?" he asked bluntly. "Was that whole relationship just a joke to ya?"

She blinked; well, she certainly hadn't been expecting that. Renji sounded like one of those doctors in the world of the living. What were they again? Something about shrinking? "Of course it wasn't," she said. "Do you really think I'm that horrible?"

"Ya voted him out easily enough," he said reproachfully.

"It's a game, Renji," she said quietly. "We agreed that we wouldn't take it personally if one of us voted the other out. He knows that I didn't mean it in a bad way."

"Then why didja do it?" he asked, looking her in the eye for the first time since the conversation had begun.

"Because if I hadn't acted when I did, I would have had my fate in this game set in stone," she explained. "I knew that me and Nanao were on the outs of your alliance; we got that. We weren't gonna try to break you guys up. I had to work with the tools that I had."

"But ya did break us up," he said, frowning.

She shook her head. "I meant you, Shuhei and Ikkaku," she clarified. "Soi Fon was willing to break her word with Yumichika to vote him out; naturally, she'd do it again. I knew that there was no way in hell that you or Shuhei would vote for each other."

"That's honestly the only reason ya did it?" he asked.

"Yes," she said firmly.

He paused for a second, considering his next words. "So lemme ask ya somethin'," he said slowly. "After this game is over an' we all go back to the Seireitei, are ya plannin' on stickin' with Shuhei?"

She blinked; once again, he'd asked a question that she'd not expected. "Well, if he wants to," she said. "I'd never really thought about it before. Why?"

"Shuhei's one of my best friends," Renji said, looking away. "I don't want him to get all infatuated an' then have ya dump him."

She giggled at that. "Who would I dump him for, Renji?" she asked. Inwardly, she was touched that Renji cared enough to make sure that she wasn't just playing Shuhei. It was sweet.

"I dunno," he said, shrugging. "Gin?" The grin on her face fell. "No, sorry, I didn't mean it!" he said hastily, seeing the look on her face. "It was a joke, seriously!"

"Renji, I'm not mad at you or anything," she said, chuckling. "It just…caught me by surprise, that's all."

"Well, ya looked like you'd just swallowed somethin' nasty," he said.

She shrugged. "It's just…well, I don't know how much you've heard," she admitted, "but Gin and I haven't had the most…well, the best past."

"Ah, I have heard a few things," he admitted, grinning nervously.

"It still kind of…I don't know, shocks me, I guess, when people suggest that I like Gin that way," she said, shrugging.

* * *

"Yeah, it kind of shocked me when Renji suggested that I'd 'dump' Shuhei for Gin!" Rangiku admitted later, looking both horrified and slightly angry. "After what Gin did to me all those years ago, how could I ever be with him?" She shook her head. "And I mean, what really bugged me was the fact that Renji knows I'm a loyal person; I may be a party animal, and like to drink and shop and all that stuff, but I'm not such a slut that I would charm a guy into getting what I wanted and then dump him! That's horrible! And Shuhei was already a friend before this game ever started. I wouldn't play him like that. Never. And it hurts that Renji – who's also a friend – could even question that."

* * *

Luckily, a welcome relief from all of the tension in camp came in the form of an immunity challenge. Renji went to go check the mail, and happily brought back a small board on which the summons was written. The words were written out in a small grid-like pattern, with one letter taking up one tile on the grid. "'This one doesn't require brawn, but it's time to put your mind to the test. Can you find all the words, or will you leave it up to the rest? It's really quite simple, so just use your eyes. If you don't win today, tonight you might get a surprise.'"

"It looks like this one is purely mental," Nanao pointed out.

Soi Fon nodded. "We haven't had a truly mental challenge yet," she noted.

"Then it will be interesting how everything pans out."

* * *

"Today is our first truly mental challenge," Nanao said later to the cameras. "So I don't think we really need to worry about Ikkaku or Renji winning, because – let's be honest – they're not the sharpest tools in the shed. I actually think that the winner this week might be someone more like me, who physically can't stand up to anybody, but who's tried to stay as strong mentally as she could."

* * *

The scene shifted to the challenge area. Ichigo was standing there waiting for them, a smirk on his face. "What's up?" he asked, putting his hands on his hips. "You guys ready for today's challenge?" Everyone nodded. "First things first, Renji I'll take that back now." He nodded to the sword hanging around the red-head's torso. He then gently placed it on its customary perch. "Immunity is back up for grabs. For today's challenge, we're doing something a little different. Each of you is gonna be put at a station. On each station is a puzzle board with a word find on it. There are fifteen words. Find all the words in the puzzle, and then cross 'em off on the list to the side. When you've got all fifteen words, use the intersecting letters of the various words to form one remaining word. Make sense?" Everyone nodded again. "Okay, then, take your spots behind your board and we'll get started."

Everyone moved behind their colored board, chalk in their preferred writing hand. "On my mark, pull the burlap off your board and begin," Ichigo instructed. "Survivors ready…GO!" As one, the members of the Seikahou tribe yanked the burlap off their boards and bent over, peering down at the words. Some used the tried-and-true method of searching every row for the letter a word started with and then seeing if that letter formed the right word. Others searched haphazardly. Either way, everyone was soon on their way to finding words – which just happened to be the last names of some of the strongest people in the Seireitei.

Just as Nanao had predicted, Renji and Ikkaku were at the back of the pack, struggling along as they searched for the words. All of the women had an edge over the men; Gin was in the middle of the two groups, moving along at his own speed. "Who the hell came up with this challenge?" Renji growled after having to go back and search every row for one particular letter for what seemed like the thousandth time. "This is stupid!"

"Just because you suck at word puzzles doesn't mean that the challenge is stupid," Ichigo said, snickering. Renji took the time to shoot the host a glare over the top of his board. "Remember, when you're done, yell out and I'll come see if you're right!"

Everyone was still working furiously. No one wanted to go home tonight, especially not when they were so close to achieving their goal. It looked as if Nanao and Soi Fon were currently battling it out for first place, Rangiku close behind. Nanao's glasses were almost falling off her nose, she was leaning so close to the board, but it didn't look as if that was going to stop her. Soi Fon's hand was trembling as she raced along the rows, searching for a word that kept trying to elude her. Rangiku's hair was falling into her face, and she was contorted into a very odd – not to mention uncomfortable – position.

Suddenly, Nanao crossed off the last word on her list. Excited now, she started to take out the intersecting letters of the words. She wrote them all out above the blank spaces and then stepped back, trying to unscramble the final word. Her lips moved furiously as she formed combinations in her mind, looking for that one that made sense. Meanwhile, Soi Fon had found all her words and was busy picking out the intersecting letters. Renji and Ikkaku might as well have just quit, for all the progress they were making (Renji had six words, Ikkaku seven).

With a noise that could only resemble a squeal – coming from who?? – Nanao rushed forward again and wrote down a word on her board. After she was finished, she slammed her chalk down so hard that it broke in two pieces. "I'm done!" she cried out happily, raising her hand like a schoolgirl. Amused, Ichigo walked around and first checked to make sure that she'd accurately found all the words – she had. Then he looked at the word she'd formed and made sure that it matched up with the answer – it did.

He held his hands up. "Nanao wins immunity!" he announced. Nanao jumped up and gave an uncharacteristic shout of glee. Ikkaku, clearly irritated, threw his chalk at a nearby tree stump, where it neatly shattered. Renji just clenched his jaw tightly and ran his fingers through his fiery, tangled hair. "Congrats," Ichigo said, putting the sword around Nanao's thin shoulders. "For the first time, you've won a challenge, Nanao." Nanao snorted in a sardonic sort of a way. "For the rest of ya…one of you is going home tonight."

* * *

Back at camp, Renji and Ikkaku had migrated out to the rocks, obviously knowing that one of the two of them had to be going home tonight. The red-head was sitting on a rock with his head in his hands, staring at the puddles that had collected on the stone beneath him. Ikkaku, on the other hand, was sitting down on the ground, facing Renji.

"Well, this sucks," Renji announced bitterly.

"Damn straight," Ikkaku said.

"Do ya ever say anythin' other than 'damn straight'?" Renji asked, frowning.

"Yeah," Ikkaku said, scowling at his friend. "Bastard."

Instead of retaliating, as he would normally have done, Renji just stared at him for a while and then sighed, looking off in a different direction. "Geez, now we're arguin' with each other even. What kind of pricks do we look like, I wonder?"

"Big ones," Ikkaku said, smirking. His grin soon faded as his expression turned serious once again. "Seriously, though, who do ya think they're gonna vote off?"

"I have no idea," Renji said. "Probably me. They don't get along with me as much as they do ya."

"I dunno 'bout that," Ikkaku said thoughtfully.

"Think 'bout it," Renji said, rolling his eyes. "I argue with 'em whenever I don't agree with what they did. I've made my point several times, an' I always tend to get pissed off whenever things don't go my way. I ain't that stubborn, I'll admit that I've given 'em more of a reason to vote me off then you have."

"Yeah, but I also think they like ya better as a person than they do me," Ikkaku pointed out.

Renji shrugged. "Doesn't make a difference. They _liked _Shuhei an' they still voted him out."

"True," Ikkaku admitted grudgingly. He shook his head. "I just wish that Soi Fon hadn't betrayed us. Doesn't she know that she ain't gettin' squat from the jury now?"

"She has to," Renji said. "If she don't, she's stupid."

Ikkaku nodded. After a few moments of silence, he held out his hand to Renji. "Well, no matter how things go tonight, I've been glad to play this game with ya, Renji," he said, smiling wearily. "I'm glad we got to be allies."

"Me too," Renji said, taking the hand and shaking it roughly. "Whatever happens, happens." He frowned. "Ain't that some bullshit from a play in the world of the livin'?"

"How the hell would I know?"

* * *

While Renji and Ikkaku were debating on whether or not that was a line was from a play, Rangiku and Nanao were strolling along the beach, gathering up coconuts for the dinner they would have after they got back from tribal council that night. "By the way, congratulations," Rangiku said, smiling. "I didn't get a chance to tell you that after the challenge was over."

"Thanks," Nanao said. "I wasn't in trouble, but it feels nice to win all the same."

"Yeah," Rangiku said. "Maybe I'll win next time."

"Who knows?"

There was a comfortable silence for a few minutes as Rangiku reached up to grab a few coconuts from a very low-hanging tree branch. Nanao reached down easily to pick them up after they fell to the ground. "So," Rangiku started, "who do you think we should go for tonight?"

"I'm not sure," Nanao said. "I think Renji's more of a loose cannon. If he gets mad, he really goes off and does some serious damage, especially to morale. On the other hand, Ikkaku might be a bit smarter. All in all…I'm not really positive about who's the better choice."

"I'm closer to Renji than to Ikkaku," Rangiku said thoughtfully. "But you're right – he is a loose cannon. There's no way to predict what he's going to do if something happens that he doesn't agree with. And have you noticed that all of the major fights that have gone on out here have involved Renji in some shape or form?" She shook her head. "There's something to be said about that."

"I agree," Nanao said. "But if Ikkaku is smarter, it would be better if we put up with Renji for three more days."

"Ikkaku may be smarter, but this was the first purely mental challenge that we've had, and they were both so far behind that they might as well not participated," Rangiku said. "And even in the physical challenges, Renji's proved to be a greater threat than Baldy."

"True," Nanao said. She sighed. "What do you think would be the best for our alliance?"

Rangiku blinked. "You mean, who do I think has a better chance of weaseling their way into our alliance and pushing one of us out of the final four?" Nanao nodded. "Well…Renji doesn't seem like the type of guy who'd do something like that. But on the other hand, Ikkaku doesn't like us at all. He'd probably just try to win immunity and hope for the best."

Nanao nodded. "Well, I think we've decided then. We just need to talk to Soi Fon and Gin and make sure that they're on the same page."

* * *

"Honestly, for me, Renji and Ikkaku are like this," Rangiku said, holding both her hands up, palms facing skyward. "One's up, one's down," she continued, moving her hands to match her words. "One's up, one's down. They're so similar, and have such similar gameplays that it's hard to decide who to vote out. I would think that if you had two people so similar, it would be easier to choose someone to vote out – just pick the one you like the least. But on the other hand, we're having to consider such teensy, tiny little details such as considering things like what would happen if one of them someone managed to get one of us to flip on the rest of our alliance that our heads are just spinning." She shook her head. "I honestly just want this tribal council to be over with so that things can go back to being normal again."

* * *

The scene shifted to the tribal council area. Ichigo stood waiting for the members of Seikahou to come in and take their seats before looking to the other side and announcing the members of the jury. "We'll now bring in the members of the jury: Rukia, Ulquiorra and Shuhei, voted out at the last tribal council." The three people walked in as their name was called, Rukia in yet another flowery sundress, Ulquiorra in the same sort of ensemble that he'd worn last week, and Shuhei, who was wearing a black tank top, baggy black jeans, combat boots, several studded belts and chains – literally everywhere.

After the jury was seated, Ichigo seated himself. "Well," he said, smirking, "it's been an interesting three days for you guys, I'm sure. So, tell me, Rangiku what was the mood when you got back to camp after last tribal?"

Rangiku took a deep breath before answering. "Well, to be honest, it was pretty tense," she admitted. "I know that Renji was particularly loud about how mad he was that Shuhei had been voted out instead of Gin." Over in the jury section, Shuhei rolled his eyes.

"Mad at who?" Ichigo asked.

"Mainly me," Soi Fon said, beating Rangiku to the punch. She looked remarkably complacent for someone who'd just announced that they were the victim of Pineapple Hatred. "Obviously, I was the one who flipped sides, so he's going to be mad at me over anyone else. Though to be fair, I think that the only person in camp right now that he _isn't _mad at to some degree is Ikkaku."

"Can ya blame me?" Renji asked, frowning. "Ya betrayed an alliance because ya had a passin' thought that we might get rid of ya before we said we would."

Ichigo blinked. "How is that not a completely legitimate fear?" he asked.

"Do ya honestly think that I woulda lied to ya?" Renji asked.

"You had an alliance with Shuhei to the final two," Soi Fon pointed out. "And it's hard for me to believe that you would have kept me over Ikkaku, as close friends as you are in the Seireitei. I told you that when we got back from the last tribal council. I really don't wanna talk about it now." Renji just rolled his eyes and looked away pointedly.

Ichigo shrugged. "Okay then, moving on," he said. "What went through your head when you realized that there was no reward challenge this time?"

"I was personally upset," Gin said quietly, smirking. "I was hoping to get something to eat."

"You're getting spoiled if you think that you get food every time you have a reward challenge," Ichigo pointed out. Gin just shrugged. "Still, it's fair to say that you'll only get one more reward challenge in the course of the whole game. Nanao, how does it feel to know that you're so close to winning this game?"

"It's an incredible feeling, Ichigo," Nanao said breathlessly. "I'm so tired of being here. We're all nasty, disgusting, starving, tired and cranky. I mean look at us." She laughed. "We're practically emaciated here!"

"You gonna be happy to get back to your duties?" Ichigo asked, smirking.

"I'll be happy to get back to normal life," Nanao said, dancing around the actual question. "I don't know how much I miss having to do tons of paperwork since my Captain is a lazy slacker who can't do anything for himself other than drink himself halfway to death." She smirked.

"Okay, then, it's time to vote," Ichigo said, standing up. "Gin, you're up first." One by one, the remaining six went up to the confessional to cast their ballots. When everyone was finished, Ichigo went up to get the box. "I'll remind everyone that once the votes have been read, the decision is final and the person voted out will be asked to leave the tribal council area immediately. I'll read the votes." He pulled the top off the container. "First vote: Soi Fon."

Soi Fon nodded in understanding; she'd known that Renji and Ikkaku were going to vote for her. "Next vote: Soi Fon. Next vote: Renji. Renji. Renji." He pulled the final vote out of the container. "The fifteenth person voted out of Survivor: Soul Reaper Style and the fourth member of our jury – Renji. Four votes is enough. It's time to bring me your torch."

Renji sighed and stood up, clapping Ikkaku on the back as he did so. He grabbed his torch and walked over to Ichigo. "Renji, the tribe has spoken," Ichigo said as he extinguished Renji's torch. "It's time for you to go." Renji nodded and slowly turned around and walked out of the area. In the jury area, Shuhei and Rukia both were shaking their heads in disappointment. "Well, you've made it this far," Ichigo continued. "But you'll find out that in the final stages, this game is a major bitch. Grab your torches, head on back to camp."

* * *

Renji's final words: "Well, I can't say that I wasn't expectin' this," he admitted. "An' I ain't gonna give some load of bullshit 'bout how much of a backstabbin' bitch Soi Fon is. After all I've said out here, there's no way that people back home ain't heard of all my opinions." He grinned and shrugged. "Actually, though, I have had a lot of fun out here. It's been pretty interestin' an' it sure beats the hell outta paperwork. Sorry, Captain Kuchiki." He laughed nervously. "So…I guess that's it. I'm out!"

* * *

Aw, poor Renji!! He's my favorite character ever - but let's be honest. Renji would NEVER win this game were it a real thing. He's too...well, stupid, lol. But again, I'm sorry that this is out so late...ugh, school is a major bitch and so are faulty keyboards. Anyways, thanks for all the reviews!! We're closing in on 200!! Yay!!


	24. Episode 14

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Bleach or Survivor. I just stuck the two of them together.

**Rating: **T

**A/N:** Argh, this is day later than I'd planned!! But my internet decided to go all schizo on me and not work. So sorry!! Hopefully this chapter will make up for it. Oh, and sorry if the allusion to Judas Iscariot betraying Jesus Christ offends anybody. I just needed someone who betrayed someone really important. Yeah, anyways. I honestly don't want to offend anyone, so if it does, I'm really sorry. Anyways, going on. Thanks for all the reviews!!

* * *

**Soul Reaper Survivor – Episode 14  
****Would You Be My Judas Tonight?**

There was nothing really to say when the Seikahou tribe came back to camp on night thirty-three. Everything had pretty much been said at tribal council. Ikkaku was a bit forlorn, seeing as how he was the only member of his alliance still alive, but hey, at least he'd made it farther than them, as cruel a thought as that was. The only good thing that had come out of Soi Fon betraying her alliance was that he hadn't had to vote for Renji or Shuhei. That would have been hard on him.

As it was, he sat down by the fire. Nanao and Rangiku were getting ready for bed; they were so tired lately that it seemed as if it was all they could do just to make themselves move. He understand that; he had never felt so beaten down in his entire life, and that included living in Rukongai. At least in Rukongai there were places to get food. Here, there wasn't anything to eat unless you went and got it with your own hands. Plus it was the same food over and over again. There was no variety, and that was sometimes worse than having no food.

Soi Fon sat down across from him and began poking the fire with a stick to liven it up a little. Gin was doing something off near the woods; he had his back to the fire, and was staring up into the trees as if he were searching for a monkey. Now what was Gin going to do with a monkey? The very thought was comical to Ikkaku.

"Look, Ikkaku, I'm sorry," Soi Fon said suddenly. He turned his attention back to her, his gaze appraising. What was she apologizing for now? "You and I both know that this is just a game, and we both know that sometimes we can't help but feel insulted. I know that you understand my reasoning behind flopping alliances. I've apologized for that, and like I said at tribal council, I really don't want to talk about it anymore. But I never told you about voting off Yumichika, nor did I apologize. So I'm apologizing now. You don't have to accept it, and you don't have to forgive me. But I'm leaving it out there, because I truly am sorry, and looking back on it, I realize that it wasn't my only option."

Ikkaku blinked and stared at her for a moment, letting her words sink in. She was sorry, huh? Well, at least she was admitting that she'd made a mistake. That gave her a point in his book – though she still had a lot to make up. "So would ya have done any differently?" he asked quietly. She frowned. "Ya just said that ya realized it wasn't your only option. Would ya have done anythin' any differently if ya'd realized then that ya had other options?"

Recognition dawned in her eyes. "Well, obviously, I can make no guarantees," she said softly. "But I think I would have thought through the situation more and perhaps come up with a different solution. So yes, I probably would have responded differently."

He sighed. "I dunno if I can forgive ya that easily," he admitted. She nodded in resigned understanding. "But I _do _appreciate ya havin' the guts to apologize, an' admit that perhaps ya made a mistake." He gave her a wry grin, which she shyly returned. After a moment or two of silence, he yawned and stood up, his back cracking a few times as he did so. "Well, I'm passin' out. See ya in the mornin'." And with that, he went into the shelter to lie down.

* * *

"I wasn't expectin' Soi Fon to apologize when we got back to camp," Ikkaku revealed to the camera the next morning. "I didn't even know what she was gonna say when she sat down across from me an' opened her mouth. Do I forgive her? No, I can't do that yet. But I do respect the fact that she had the guts to admit that she was wrong. Even I have problems with that." He grinned sarcastically. "It won't change anythin' 'bout the game, an' it won't change my opinion 'bout her. But I think that she has done a little to redeem herself."

* * *

Early the next morning, Rangiku and Gin were out by the beach, with their toes in the water as they watched the clouds float across the sky. Now, while this seemed like a perfectly logical thing for Rangiku to do, _Gin _doing it was a bit odd. Of course, she knew that he was only there because she was there. Obviously, he wanted to talk to her; he just hadn't broached the subject yet. That was okay, though. He would eventually. If there was one person she knew better than anyone else, it was Gin. Hell, she probably knew him better than she knew herself.

"So, what're you thinking, Rangiku?" he finally asked with a light sigh.

"I was thinking that that cloud looks like cotton candy," she said, pointing to a very fluffy cloud. She let her hand drop down to her stomach, where it hit the skin with a resounding smack. It was really pitiful how skinny she'd gotten. Whenever she lay down, her stomach caved in so that it was several inches below the level of the bottom of her rib cage. Boy, she needed some steak, fries and chocolate!

"They all look like cotton candy," Gin pointed out.

"But that one looks particularly like cotton candy," she said, frowning slightly.

"Rangiku, they _all _look particularly like cotton candy," he said, smirking.

"Oh, don't be such a spoilsport," she said, rolling her eyes at him. "Now seriously, what did you really want to talk to me about?"

"Can't I just come over here to have a conversation with you?" he asked, sounding offended.

"No," she said, turning to scowl at him. "I know you, Gin. You _always _have an ulterior motive."

He sighed again. "You have such little faith in me," he said sadly. "I'm crushed."

"You'll survive," she said brightly, staring up at the clouds again. "Now, what did you want?"

He dropped the pretense of being completely innocent now. "Well, what are we going to do in the next few days?" he asked, his voice dropping down a few levels in noise.

"Ikkaku's next, obviously," she responded, equally as quiet. "And then it's down to us four."

"Really?" he asked, feigning surprise. "I would've _never _guessed."

"Would you stop being an asshole?!" she demanded. After rolling her eyes, she continued. "I promised Nanao that I would never vote her off, and I'm not going to write your name down unless I have to. I want Soi Fon out at four because she's too canny."

"But she's the best person to go up against in the finals," Gin pointed out. "I'd take her."

"Yes, but I'd rather lose to someone decent than win against someone who no one likes," she said thoughtfully. "Then I can at least say that I lost honestly, fair and square. If I took Soi Fon, hell if _anyone _took Soi Fon to the finals, they'd win. She's pissed off everyone on the jury."

"So you wouldn't take Soi Fon, even though you know you it would be a shoe-in for you?"

"No, because then I wouldn't have had to work for anything to win," she said, frowning. "I would've gotten to the final two, and then won just because no one likes Soi Fon."

"Then who do you plan on taking?"

"You or Nanao," she answered. "Isn't that obvious?"

"Oh yes, Sherlock, _very,_" Gin said, with a deadpan expression on his face. Seeing her roll her eyes yet again brought his habitual smirk back in a heartbeat, though. He chuckled. "You'd take Nanao over me, Rangiku, and you know that as well as I do."

"Then why are you bringing it up?" she asked.

"Because I want you to know that that doesn't really work out for me," he announced.

She turned to look at him. "What are you saying?" she asked quietly.

"Naturally, I don't want to go out at three, especially just because you made a promise to Nanao that you'd take her to the end," he explained. "Well, you've seen how Nanao's played the game. If it wasn't for you, she wouldn't even be here. So explain to me how you can take such a weak player – another person that no one would really ever vote for in the finals – with you to the end when you just said that your pride couldn't let you take the lesser person to the finals?"

She shook her head. "You're completely missing the point," she said.

"Then do enlighten me," he said, smirking.

"I promised Nanao way back before the merge that we would stick together to the end," she said. "And I'm sure that everyone on the jury knows it now. If I backstabbed Nanao, then I've not only betrayed my in-game boyfriend, but my best friend, in order to go up against someone who many would say was my worst enemy. How much of a bitch would I look like then?"

"But by your own standards, you just said that you couldn't take someone to the finals that didn't deserve to be there," he pointed out. "You're breaking your own rules."

"Gin," she said, sighing. "It's not as easy as you're making it out to be."

"Yes, it is," he said. "You just have to write down her name on a piece of paper."

"I don't want to talk about this anymore," she said firmly. "I've given you my answer."

"Well, if you're certain," he said, sighing dramatically.

"I am," she snapped. "Shut up."

He chuckled quietly to himself again. "Would you be mad if I took Soi Fon over you?"

_That _caught her attention. She whipped her head around to stare at him, shock on her face. "You would take Soi Fon over me just because I won't backstab Nanao?" she asked.

"I already told you, Rangiku, Soi Fon is not capable of winning in the finals," he said, shrugging. "You've told me that you aren't going to take me, so I have to start looking at other options."

"So you'll betray me?" she asked. "The one who saved your ass?"

"You saved Nanao's ass," he pointed out. "What's to say that she won't betray you?"

"Nanao wouldn't betray me," she said quickly. "I know she wouldn't. She's _grateful _that I saved her ass as many times as I did. And you should be too." She was absolutely livid now.

"I am grateful," he said. "But grateful doesn't pay the bills."

"Oh, please," she said, rolling her eyes. "You're a Captain, for God's sake, Gin. Your paycheck is a lot bigger than mine, and that's saying something. You have more than enough money to pay the bills."

"Yes, but I want an airplane," he said.

She blinked. "What the hell is an airplane?" she asked.

"Well, it's this thing in the world of the living that looks like a big, steel bird!" he said enthusiastically. "And it flies in the air, and carries people from place to place faster than shunpo even!"

"Why on earth would you want something like that?" she asked, blinking again. "You don't honestly think the Head Captain would let you fly it around the Seireitei, do you?"

"You never know," he said. "Maybe he'd make an exception for me."

"Why you?" she asked suspiciously. He grinned deviously and opened his mouth to answer, but she raised a hand and cut him off. "On second thought…I don't want to know."

* * *

"I was pissed beyond words when Gin told me that he would take Soi Fon over me to the finals," Rangiku said to the camera, her lips drawn together in a tight line. "I saved his ass! He wouldn't even be here if it wasn't for me! And now he wants to fuck me over so that he can have a better chance of winning! If I hadn't saved his ass like that, I wouldn't be so mad. But I did, so he's got me royally pissed right now." She sighed angrily. "Maybe I'm just stupid for believing him. I don't know at this point."

* * *

Later on that afternoon, Ikkaku went off by himself to retrieve the tree mail. He was looking forward to the challenge. There wasn't anything else to do out here, especially when the people you were with were such pricks. Hell, he was almost looking forward to being voted out if it meant getting away from these nutcases and backstabbers. Honestly, the lot of them belonged in an asylum.

Having reached the leather bag, he reached a hand inside. His fist closed on a square wooden board, the message painted in clear white letters on one side. The other side was painted to depict waves drowning a boat. Well, wasn't that encouraging? Taking the board in his hand, he walked back to camp easily and yelled for everyone to gather round before he read the message. Everyone was staring at him curiously, obviously eager to see what their last reward challenge would entail.

"'It's your last reward, so we've prepared you a treat, but if you don't bring you A-game, you might as well not compete. Brains, brawn and balance – three crucial components. But if you screw up, you'll just reward your opponents. Answer the questions, don't lose your footing and stay upright, or tonight you'll be hurting.'" He looked up and whistled sharply.

"So the challenge is physical, mental _and _it requires a sense of balance?" Rangiku asked. She sighed and then scowled down at her chest. "Well, I'm screwed."

"Do explain," Gin said mischievously.

"Well, ever since I got here and started losing weight, my boobs have shrunk," Rangiku explained. "But it's so disproportionate! They've not balanced anymore." Nanao flushed a little at her friend's forwardness. "It's so hard to run and not trip over anything!"

"I wonder what it means about answering questions _and _keeping our footing," Soi Fon mused. "Do you think that means that if we answer a question wrong, it'll be harder for us to stay in the competition?"

"Dunno," Ikkaku said noncommittally. "Sounds like an endurance challenge mixed with a questionin' session to me."

"Which means it'll be much harder to concentrate than in a normal endurance challenge," Nanao deduced. Soi Fon nodded in agreement. "If we have to answer questions, we'll have to think while still trying to maintain our balance." She shook her head. "This obviously isn't going to be very easy."

"The reward better damn well be worth it," Ikkaku grumbled, looking out towards the water.

* * *

"I don't got anythin' left in this game," Ikkaku informed the camera. "So I'm gonna give it my all, cause I don't wanna go down without a fight. I'm gonna do all that I can to stay in this game. If it's my time to go, so be it, but I ain't gonna go down without causin' as much of a ruckus as I can. Hell, I may be goin' down in flames, but they're comin' with me."

* * *

The scene shifted to the challenge, this time placed at the water's edge, in a comfortable lagoon where there was a slight breeze coming in from the west. Ichigo was waiting for them, wearing his uniform tank top and pair of cargo shorts. "What's up, guys?" he asked, smirking. "You ready for today's challenge?"

"Fuck yes," Ikkaku said.

"Okay then, this is probably the toughest challenge you've had yet so far," Ichigo continued, crossing his arms over his chest. "You're gonna be kneeling on one of the platforms out in the water. The platforms are designed to break apart in segments if you pull one of the different ropes. That's where the questions come in. I'm gonna ask you a series of questions about the island here, and you're gonna answer with a flipbook. On each of the flipbook's pages is one of four letters – A, B, C, or D – and then two extra pages with the words TRUE and FALSE.

"Depending on the question, you'll give your answer based on what you think is the correct ones of the choices I give you. If you get it right, you're safe. Get it wrong, and you have to pull one of your ropes, making your platform much smaller. Miss four questions and you're down to just a perch. When it gets to that, you'll stand up using the two ropes on either side of you. Once you're standing up, release the ropes, and you just gotta stand there for as long as you can. Last one standing wins. Make sense?" Everyone nodded.

"So, it's a pretty difficult challenge," Ichigo said. "Therefore, it's gotta be a pretty good reward, right?" Everyone had guarded looks about that. "Now these ain't too big in Soul Society, but we had Urahara make some modifications to make it so that it didn't need gas." Wary expressions changed to frowns. Ichigo, smirking, walked over to the large burlap sack that was hiding the prize. Jaws dropped and the host couldn't help but snicker.

"What the hell is that?" Ikkaku asked, slackjawed.

"This, Ikkaku, is a MTT Turbine Superbike," Ichigo clarified. "It's the only one in Soul Society, and is fast enough to frickin' rival shunpo." Eyes widened at that. "Winner gets this baby, complete with all the little gadgets. Now I'm sure a couple of you are wondering why the hell you'd want this. Well, there's several reasons. Ikkaku, can you imagine the chicks you'd pick up riding this thing?" Ichigo winked at him conspiratorially and Ikkaku snickered. "Same thing for you, Rangiku, only guys. Nanao – as fast as this sucker is, you could outrun your Captain and fly halfway across Rukongai before he'd even have a clue where you were." The gleam in Nanao's eyes showed her newfound desire for the motorcycle; it suddenly sounded a lot more valuable in her opinion. "I'm sure you guys could put it to good use as well, Soi Fon, Gin."

"We get to keep that?" Ikkaku asked, his eyes lustful as he stared at the silver bike.

"Sure thing," Ichigo said. "As well, directly after the challenge, the winner'll drive away through the jungle to a special resort we've set up for ya. There's food, beer, a bed, a shower and everything else you could possibly need.

"So let's get started then, shall we?" Everyone started to get ready for the challenge. "Hold up a moment," Ichigo said suddenly, just as everyone was about ready to head out. "There's one more part of this challenge."

"Well, hurry up an' tell us what it is!" Ikkaku demanded.

"You guys aren't gonna be participating," Ichigo said, grinning evilly.

That stopped everyone in their tracks. "What's going on?" Nanao asked, her eyes narrowing.

"Come on in, guys!" Ichigo called out to a cluster of trees standing about ten feet away. "You aren't gonna be playing this time. We've got some other people here to participate for you." A moment later, someone walked out of the woods, dressed in simple, casual clothes. "Gin, I'm sure you remember your lieutenant." Izuru Kira gave his Captain a nervous smile before going over to stand beside him. Gin's trademark smirk was even larger than usual.

"Naturally," Gin said.

"Now, Soi Fon, we had to search a little harder for your visitor," Ichigo said. "Because we were sure as hell you didn't wanna see Omaeda." Soi Fon snorted in amusement. "But I'm sure you'll be happy with his replacement." A moment later, a scantily-clad Yoruichi Shihoin danced out of the woods, grinning like a Cheshire cat.

"Lady Yoruichi!" Soi Fon said, instantly going rigid. Yoruichi just sniggered and made her way over to her former subordinate, hugging the skinny girl to her ample chest. Soi Fon blushed furiously and tried to pull away.

"You're so skinny, Soi Fon!" Yoruichi said, inspecting the other. "We need to feed you!"

"It's no major concern, Lady Yoruichi," Soi Fon mumbled. Yoruichi just rolled her eyes playfully and slung an arm over the other's shoulder.

"Going on," Ichigo said, not able to help but grin at Soi Fon's obvious discomfort. "Rangiku, I'm sure you missed this kid."

"I AM NOT A KID!" an angry voice called from the woods. A very angry Hitsugaya stalked out of the woods, hands in his pockets, shoulders hunched and scowl in place. "That's CAPTAIN HITSUGAYA to you, Kurosaki!"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Ichigo said, easily brushing off the demand.

"Captain!" Rangiku exclaimed in glee, immediately rushing over to hug – er, smother – her Captain in her embrace. Hitsugaya flushed furiously and pushed her off. "I haven't seen you in forever!"

"And I'm sure you missed me oh so much," Hitsugaya said, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Of course, Captain!" Rangiku said, beaming. She attempted to lead him back over to the mat like a child, but he pushed her help away and stalked off on his own. She shrugged and just stood behind him.

"Now, Nanao, we wanted to find a suitable person to help you, but there weren't too many candidates," Ichigo began.

"Dear God, you can't be serious," Nanao said, her expression going from curious to horrified in .05 seconds flat.

"Unfortunately, I am," Ichigo, scratching his head as he stared away, not wanting to withstand the wrath of her full gaze. "He was the only-"

"NANAO!" a delighted voice cried from the trees. A few seconds later, an only slightly inebriated Shunsui Kyoraku emerged from the woods, wearing a hot pink t-shirt, a pair of purple swimming trunks printed with vibrant white Hawaiian flowers, his ridiculous hat and a pair of sandals. He instantly rushed her and enveloped her in a huge hug – which she didn't return, of course. She just stood there awkwardly, glaring at him, until he released her. "Oh, you look so beautiful, my sweet little-"

"I don't recall ever being yours!" Nanao said hotly. "And you had better do exactly what I tell you out there, or – so help me, God – I will make your life a living hell when we get back to the Seireitei!" She was positively fuming.

"Well, we know who wears the pants in that partnership," Ichigo muttered.

"WHAT WAS THAT?" Nanao demanded shrilly.

"Nothing," Ichigo said, wincing at her shrill tone. "Now, Ikkaku," he said, turning to the final contestant before Nanao could say anything else, "we had to really consider your helper. Obviously, it ain't gonna be Kenpachi, considering that it would just be suicidal. But I think you'll like the replacement."

"Fuck, it ain't Yachiru, is it?" Ikkaku asked worriedly, staring over at the trees.

"Course not," Ichigo said. "You really think we'd bring her out here?"

Ikkaku shrugged. He frowned when no one came out of the trees immediately. He turned to face Ichigo again a few moments later. "Where are they?" he asked.

"Coming," Ichigo said, pointing over to the trees. "Patience is a virtue, you know."

"Shut up," Ikkaku said, turning the other direction. His eyes widened when he saw who it was. He didn't say anything as the person walked up to meet him, too shocked to say anything.

"You know, in all our years together, I think this is the first time I've ever seen you speechless, Ikkaku," Yumichika said, smiling faintly. "It's a pleasant surprise."

"Yumi?" Ikkaku asked in disbelief. Yumichika raised a carefully manicured eyebrow. "But you – I thought – I mean – WHAT THE FUCK IS GOIN' ON?" He turned to stare at Ichigo questioningly. "How's he here?"

"He's not on the jury," Ichigo said, shrugging. "And he's your best friend. Might as well let someone who wants to compete for ya do it."

"Don't you want my help, Ikkaku?" Yumichika smirked.

"Yeah, but…ah, hell," Ikkaku said, breaking out into a grin. "Nice to see ya, Yumichika."

"Of course," Yumichika said. "But, dear heavens, Ikkaku, you do need a bath."

"We ran outta soap 'bout a week ago," Ikkaku explained. "Sand only does so much."

Yumichika shrugged in a form of agreement.

"Well, sorry to break up this little reunion, but it's time for the challenge," Ichigo said. Everyone's attention returned to him. "Your friends all know what to do, and they're gonna compete for you. They will participate with you in the reward. Make sense?" Everyone nodded yet again. "Okay then, Survivors, you can stay here on the beach. The rest of you, swim out, shoes off and get on your perches."

A few moments later and all of the friends were kneeling out on their perches, easily balancing. "Alright, then, everyone pick up the questions in front of you," Ichigo called out from his platform on the beach. The perches were about ten feet away from shore so he could read their answers. Once everyone had done as he'd instructed, he continued. "Question number one: A coconut's roots can be made into all of the following things except WHAT? A). Dye B). Sewing needles C). Mouthwash or D). A medicine to treat dysentery."

Everyone moved their flipbooks to what they thought was the right answer. "Reveal," Ichigo called. The books were all simultaneously flipped around. Kira and Kyoraku had both answered C. Yoruichi had chosen A. Yumichika chose D. Hitsugaya was the lone one to select B. "The correct answer is B – sewing needles. Everyone but Hitsugaya gets it wrong. Pick one of the ropes beneath you and release it." Everyone but the white-haired Captain reached down cautiously and reached down beneath them to pull on of the ropes. At once, four different sections of platform fell into the water with a splash.

"Question number two: According to aromatherapists, what will lemon oil do to your mood? A). Incite you to fight B). Put to you sleep C). Stimulate you sexually –" Ichigo flushed at that, "or, D). Relax you." Once again, everyone chose their answers. "Reveal." That time, everyone said D except for Kyoraku, who chose C – and everyone knew why. "The correct answer's D – relax you. Kyoraku, you're down one more." Kyoraku sighed and reached down to pull his second rope, shifting back a bit as he did so so that he would have more room to balance his weight.

"I think this game is rigged against me!" Kyoraku announced. There were a few chuckles, but much more rolling eyes. Nanao in particular looked angry at her Captain.

"Question number three: What is the maximum growth rate per day for bamboo shoots? A). Three to four feet B). One to two feet C). Over four feet D). Less than one foot." Everyone started flipping through their books. "Reveal." That time, everyone chose the right answer. "The correct answer is A – three to four feet."

For the next half an hour or so, the questioning went on. Kyoraku was – naturally, the first person out of ropes to pull, and so was standing up long before any of the others. Izuru and Yumichika got out in the same round, and stood up to join the fruity Captain. Yoruichi and Hitsugaya were next, the white-haired Captain lasting just one more round than the demon cat. Once everyone was standing up, Ichigo sat down on his perch. From here on out, it was just a waiting game, after all.

After about an hour of everyone just standing there, it was time for the questioning to begin. "So, tell me, where's it hurt?" Ichigo asked the five people standing on the perches. "Kyoraku, you've been up there the longest. What's hurting you?"

"I can't feel my toes anymore," Kyoraku said, sticking his bottom lip out like a little puppy.

"If you jump off I'll skin you alive," Nanao called out menacingly.

"But if you get that bike, you'll just run away from me all the time!" Kyoraku protested.

"Then why are you still up here?" Yoruichi asked deviously.

Kyoraku blinked. "Good point," he said, tapping his finger to his chin. After a moment, he looked over at Nanao. "Nanao, would you hate me if I jumped off?"

"I already hate you," Nanao snapped. "But if you jumped off, I'd think of something horrible to do to you."

"Oooh, something naughty?" Kyoraku asked, chortling in anticipation.

"IF YOU JUMP OFF THAT PERCH ANYTIME SOON, I SWEAR I'LL CASTRATE YOU WITH A RUSTY SPOON!" Nanao screamed at him. Kyoraku visibly paled while most of the guys snickered. Rangiku smirked as well, knowing _exactly _how much of a blow that would be to the Captain.

"So," Ichigo said, trying to get back on target with his questions, "how long are you willing to stay up there, Yumichika?"

"As long as it takes," Yumichika answered airily. "I haven't seen Ikkaku for a long time, and he wants this rather badly. I can tell. So I'm not going to be jumping off anytime soon." Ikkaku couldn't help but grin at his friend's loyalty. "Unlike some people, _I _remain loyal to my friends." He smirked up at the bald man, who was now laughing raucously at his friend's jibe. Apparently, it wasn't unnoticed by Soi Fon, who flushed.

"Aw, has my little bumblebee been bad?" Yoruichi asked mischievously. Soi Fon's flush deepened and she refused to answer. Yoruichi cackled at that. "Looks like it!"

"More than you know," Ikkaku muttered.

Another hour passed before anything of significance happened. Kyoraku just happened to reach down to rub his ankles when he lost his balance and tumbled into the water headfirst like an idiot. Nanao rolled her eyes, but chose not to say anything; hey, at least he hadn't just jumped in. He lazily came back to shore and sat down on the sand, looking dejected.

Kira was next. He'd been up there the next longest after all – and his feet had started to turn purple – so he couldn't help just falling in due to lack of balance. "I'm sorry, Captain," he said to Gin when he came back in to shore. Gin just smirked and said nothing. Obviously, he wasn't too concerned with the loss.

It was down to three. Yoruichi was rubbing at her neck and squinting up at the hot sun. Sweat was rolling down her body, despite the fact that she was wearing only a very skimpy bikini. "Whoo, it's like a sauna out here!" she said, grinning.

"I agree," Yumichika said, nodding, "it's doing wonders for my pores."

Hitsugaya rolled his eyes. "It's disgustingly hot," he said. "And I'm debating whether or not to just jump off."

"Aw, Captain, don't do that!" Rangiku protested weakly.

"Why not?" the white-haired Captain asked dangerously. "What would you possibly do to me?"

"Um, what Nanao said she'd do to her Captain?" she suggested.

"Do that and you would find yourself frozen in a block of ice for the next twelve centuries," he said coldly.

"Yes, Captain," she said, sighing. "I guess you can jump in if you want. The bike's not that important to me, anyways."

"Fine," Hitsugaya said, jumping off. He easily made his way over to the shore, but instead of sitting down on the sand next to his lieutenant, he looked over to Ichigo. "Can I leave now?"

"What?!" Rangiku squawked indignantly. "Don't you want to spend the rest of your time out here with me?"

"I'll pass," Hitsugaya said, rolling his eyes. "So can I?"

"If you want," Ichigo said, shrugging. "You'll have to find a way to get yourself there, though."

Hitsugaya grumbled in complaint and sat down on the sand irritably. "I knew you couldn't resist me!" Rangiku said happily, tackling him from behind and sending him flying face-first towards the sand. She giggled happily at his feeble attempts to throw her off. When she finally released him – red faced and panting – he looked murderous.

"MATSUMOTO!" he screamed.

"What?" she asked innocently. He just glared daggers at her. She rolled her eyes. "Oh, honestly, Captain, if you don't know by now that I'm going to do that whenever I see you, you need to open your eyes."

"DON'T – DO – THAT – AGAIN!" he seethed.

"Did you not hear what I just said?" Rangiku asked, blinking and tilting her head to the side. Hitsugaya looked about ready to explode when Ichigo wisely intervened.

"Alright, alright, can it, you two," the host muttered. "Honestly, you're worse than Grimmjow and Ulquiorra."

"Shut up, Kurosaki," Hitsugaya said, sitting down and crossing his arms over his chest. "Don't compare me to those two."

Yet another hour passed in silence. Yoruichi would occasionally mention how painful this was, or complain about how the weather was too hot. Yumichika, surprisingly was very quiet. He looked to be wholly focused on the task at hand, which was winning this thing. Every now and then Yoruichi would look over at the man and then shake her head.

Finally, she stretched sinuously, trying to relieve the aching pain in her back and lower extremities. But standing in one position for three hours does freakish things to your skeletal system. As she was bending back a little, she completely lost her balance and fell with a smack and a startled cry into the water. Yumichika looked up, and – seeing that he'd won – smiled wearily as he elegantly dove down into the water.

A few seconds later, both resurfaced. Yoruichi pushed her purple hair out of her eyes irritably while Yumichika just started walking towards the shore. Ikkaku met him halfway, tackling him in happiness. The feminine man grunted – elegantly, of course – at the impact, but returned the affectionate gesture.

"Ikkaku wins reward!" Ichigo proclaimed, though everyone already knew that. Yoruichi made her way back to shore, where Soi Fon met her.

"You did your best, Lady Yoruichi," she said quietly. "I don't blame you."

"Oh, Soi Fon, you're too forgiving," Yoruichi muttered. "It's been a while since I lost my balance like that." She turned to Yumichika and Ikkaku, who had now returned to shore, the bald man's arm around Yumichika's shoulder. "Well done, Yumichika."

"Thank you, Miss Yoruichi," Yumichika said, bowing politely.

"Miss?" Yoruichi asked, amused. "Huh, guess I am still a Miss. Definitely need to work on that."

"Well, you two can stay here," Ichigo said to Yumichika and Ikkaku. "For the rest of you, it's time to go. Friends of the contestants, head on out. Survivors, head on back to camp. I've got nothing for you."

* * *

There was a strange atmosphere back in the Seikahou camp. Obviously, everyone was upset that they hadn't won; that had been a freakin' fantabulous prize, and they'd all lost it. It had been nice – well, for most of them – to see their friends. Some – chiefly Nanao – hadn't been as excited as others, but it was always nice to see fresh faces when you'd been living with a group of people for the past thirty-five days.

"I can't believe he won that," Soi Fon said incredulously. "I had no idea the reward was going to be that big."

"Just think of it as a consolation prize," Nanao said angrily. She wasn't angry at Soi Fon, or that she'd lost. More or less, she was just frustrated with her Captain – which, more or less, was always the reason for her anger.

"A consolation prize?" Rangiku asked.

"He's going home next tribal council," Nanao said, smashing a coconut with a machete. "He isn't going to win, she he gets a nice fancy bike as a prize. That should satisfy him." She hit the coconut again, the milk inside spurting everywhere.

Soi Fon looked over at Rangiku, both frowning. Obviously, Nanao was in no mood to converse. They both slowly edged away under the pretense of going to gather more coconuts. "Damn, she's upset, isn't she?" Rangiku said as soon as they'd hit the beach.

"I've never seen her so mad before," Soi Fon mused. "Though I've never really seen her in day-to-day life while she's trying to cope with Captain Kyoraku. It'd probably drive me insane too."

"Really?" Rangiku asked. "I like him. I wouldn't mind working with him."

Soi Fon snorted. "If you and Kyoraku were put together, you'd never get anything done between the two of you. You're both lazy and hopeless drunks."

"I don't get drunk," Rangiku informed her sternly.

Soi Fon rolled her eyes. "Well, he does," she said. "And together, you'd just have one big party all the time until you ran out of booze."

"Maybe," Rangiku admitted, smirking.

* * *

Meanwhile, Ikkaku and Yumichika were getting ready to jet off into the jungle. "So, you know how to ride a motorcycle, Ikkaku?" Ichigo asked. They were still on the beach where the challenge had taken place, and Ikkaku was currently appraising his new toy.

"I rode one once in the world of the livin'," Ikkaku said. "I know the main idea."

"Really?" Ichigo asked, frowning. "Where the hell'd you get a motorcycle?"

"Just borrowed one for a while," Ikkaku said with a grin.

Ichigo blinked. "YOU STOLE A MOTORCYCLE?" he asked incredulously.

"_Borrowed,_" Ikkaku insisted. "I took it back later."

Ichigo shook his head. "Whatever," he said, letting it drop. "Moving on; if you go up the beach, you'll eventually find a path through the jungle. Follow that, and you'll get to the other part of your reward. I don't suppose you'd use a helmet."

"Hell no," Ikkaku said, moving to straddle the bike. "Takes all the fun outta it."

Ichigo just shrugged. "Well, if you die, don't come crying to me," he said. "Have fun on your reward." He waved once in good-bye and then walked away, out of the camera's view.

Ikkaku then turned to Yumichika. "You gettin' on?" he asked, tilting his head back a bit.

"Do I just sit behind you?" Yumichika asked cautiously. Obviously, he'd never been on one of the things before.

"Yeah, an' put your feet on the pegs," Ikkaku instructed. The other man delicately climbed on behind him and settled himself comfortably. "Now, hang on!" Ikkaku yelled as he started the ignition. The bike roared to life beneath him and Yumichika flung his arms around Ikkaku's waist, clinging for his life as Ikkaku revved the bike up and then sped off into the jungle in speeds in an excess of three hundred miles an hour.

But of course, Ikkaku loved every minute of it. It was like some drug had been shot into his veins without inhibition. It was pure, unadulterated crack, speeding through the jungle. Everything in his vision was a blur, except for that which was right in front of him. Colors, sounds, sights, smells…they all merged into one big amalgamation as he sped along the path. There was nothing better than this. Well, maybe fighting. And perhaps sex. But that was it!

Sadly, only a few minutes had passed before they were there. Ikkaku shut the bike off reluctantly. Behind him, Yumichika seemed to slide off the bike, shaking. "Did you have to go so fast?" he demanded of his friend. "You nearly killed us twelve times!"

"Live on the edge a little, Yumichika," Ikkaku said chidingly, stepping off the bike. "That thing is fuckin' amazin'!"

"Well, I see your language hasn't improved one bit," Yumichika said, dusting off his shoulders.

"If I didn't curse all the time, I wouldn't be me, now would I?" Ikkaku asked, smirking.

Yumichika sighed. "No," he admitted. "And besides, it's far too late for you. You can't teach an old dog new tricks, as they say."

"I ain't that old," Ikkaku said, leaning the motorcycle against a nearby tree. "Now, c'mon, I'm starvin'!" He grabbed his friend by the arm and rushed over to the table where the food was displayed. And there certainly was a lot of it. Every kind of desirable food you could imagine was there: burgers, hot dogs, fries, pizza, steak, and of course, lots of chocolate desserts. Not to mention the sake. Ikkaku didn't even grab a plate. He just started eating, cramming things into his mouth in his haste to eat as much as he could.

"Calm down, Ikkaku," Yumichika said, smiling fondly at his old friend. "The food isn't going to get up and run away from you if you don't inhale it." He picked up a plate and delicately picked out his own food.

"I know," Ikkaku muttered from around a mouthful of fries. "But I can't help it. All I've eaten for the past few days is fuckin' coconuts. I'm so fuckin' tired of it. I want some meat, god dammit!"

Yumichika didn't say anything to that. There wasn't really any conversation as they ate, not for lack of wanting, but of lack of mouth space on Ikkaku's hand. When he finally sat down with a bottle of sake, he was full from completely gorging on food. He probably couldn't have stuffed anything else into his full and almost rebelling stomach.

"It's good to see ya, Yumi," Ikkaku said. It was dark now, and several fires had been lit around the area. "Wasn't too happy when ya got booted out." Surprisingly, he wasn't all that drunk; he was only sporting a slight buzz at the moment. Yumichika wasn't sure how long it would last, however.

"Neither was I," the other admitted. "I still never knew why they even voted me out."

"Tch," Ikkaku said, rolling his eyes. "Soi Fon, that's why."

"What did she do?" Yumichika asked.

"Thought me an' ya would get together after the merge an' never vote each other out, takin' the whole fuckin' thing," was the answer. "Probably right, but she still shouldn't have backstabbed ya like that. Been tryin' to get her out, but they're all so uptight now with their fuckin' final four alliance."

"Where's Shuhei?" Yumichika asked. "I would've thought that Rangiku would've wanted to keep him around."

"Who the hell d'ya think got him to go?" Ikkaku asked.

"You're kidding!" Yumichika said, his eyes widening.

"Nope," Ikkaku said, shaking his head. "Shocked us all. I'm next, by the way."

Yumichika was quiet for a moment. "Is there anything else you can do?"

"Not much, other than win tomorrow's challenge," Ikkaku said, frowning. "I'll do my best, but if I don't win, I don't win."

Yumichika sighed. "Well, in this case, I don't think that the best person is going to win," he stated calmly.

"Ya think I'm the best person to win?" Ikkaku asked, blinking.

"No, that would be me," Yumichika said, smirking teasingly. "But you're second."

"Gee, thanks," Ikkaku said, rolling his eyes.

"Anytime."

* * *

"It was nice to see Ikkaku again," Yumichika revealed in an interesting camera interview. "I hadn't seen him in a while. In fact, I think that's the longest I've ever gone without seeing him. He's gotten a lot thinner, and he doesn't look too good, but I think that he's doing well, considering the situation. At this point, like he said, there isn't a very good chance of him winning, but hey, he's done the best that he could. And knowing that he was trying to get revenge for me makes me pretty happy. I know he didn't say that, but he didn't have to. I've known him long enough to know what he's thinking. Not to mention the fact that the man's as easy to read as an open book."

* * *

The next morning, Ikkaku and Yumichika said their good-byes, and Ikkaku was dropped off back at camp. His bike, he'd been told, would be waiting for him back at the eleventh division barracks. Urahara had put a special monitoring device on it so that it would only start up for Ikkaku's reiatsu – or anyone that Ikkaku had allowed to ride it. Nice device. Virtually guaranteed that no one would steal it. And Mayuri was banned from touching it – Head Captain's orders to not interfere.

Everyone greeted him when he got back to the beach, but he wasn't stupid. He could tell that they were all jealous, and that they had all wanted to win the prize. In that way, winning such a big prize was almost worse than not winning it. Still, it wasn't like they were all that enamored of him anyways. And he wasn't too fond of any of them at that point either. So he just made his way over to the woods and began to chop off some wood.

"Look at him," Nanao seethed to Soi Fon. "Going over there and chopping wood as if nothing had happened. Despicable eleventh division flunkie."

"He's a third seat, Nanao; he's hardly a flunkie," Soi Fon said, bemused that the lieutenant was so worked up over the whole motorcycle thing.

"So?" Nanao demanded. "Rankwise, he's the lowest person here."

"Strengthwise, he's much stronger than you," Soi Fon pointed out sternly. "To be honest, he's not too far behind Gin and I. I'm surprised he hasn't been made into a Captain already."

"You really think he's that strong?" Nanao asked.

"I have no doubts," Soi Fon said, nodding. "That's why he's so dangerous in this game. There's something fishy about Ikkaku Madarame, and I fully intend to find out what it is."

* * *

"It's obvious that Nanao has been poisoned against Ikkaku by the whole reward challenge," Soi Fon revealed to the camera. "That's a good thing for me, because I know that she won't turn against me. And Rangiku won't go against Nanao and myself because she knows there's no point in trying to save a dying man. Gin will do whatever's best for himself, and that's to stick with the rest of us. All in all, I think we've pretty much secured ourselves a nice seat in the finals."

* * *

The scene shifted to the next challenge. It didn't look like a physical challenge, because there were small boards set up in a half-circle, colored burlap partitions separating them. "What's up, guys?" Ichigo asked, smirking. "You guys ready for today's challenge? First things first, Nanao, I'll need that back." Nanao reluctantly stepped forward and took off the immunity, handing it over to Ichigo. "Immunity is back up for grabs.

"Today's challenge is similar to the last immunity challenge we had," Ichigo said; Ikkaku rolled his eyes in frustration. Puzzles were NOT his thing. "At each station, there's an identical puzzle. Move around the different tiles using the free space until you form a picture. That-" he pointed to a large flag hanging in the middle of the area, "is what you're recreating. Make sense?" Everyone nodded. "Okay then, grab a station and we'll get started."

Everyone moved behind a station. "Survivors ready…GO!" Ichigo yelled, swinging his arm down. Immediately, five pieces of burlap were torn off the stations and flung to the ground. Puzzle pieces began moving as fingers flew across the boards. Every now and then, someone would look up at the flag for direction, and then move a few more pieces. It wasn't an easy puzzle; it required more than just intelligence. These kind of puzzles required logic.

After about fifteen minutes, it was clear that Nanao and Soi Fon had the ultimate advantage here. Nanao possessed the raw intelligence necessary for the challenge; Soi Fon, having worked as a secret tactician for years, knew the fundamentals of logistics like the back of her hand. They were each about three-fourths of the way finished with the puzzle, and working furiously to finish. Sweat was dripping down Soi Fon's brow as she worked to finish. She wanted to win, badly. If there was any way that someone other than Ikkaku was going home tonight, she knew that it was her head on the chopping block.

But Nanao also wanted to win. After having lost on a particularly bitter reward challenge, she was out for blood. And she'd won immunity last week; it felt nice to win something. It improved her standing in this game. Her fingers were positively flying as she moved pieces left and right and up and down and side to side. She was shaking she wanted this so badly.

"DONE!" Soi Fon suddenly cried out, flinging her arms into the arm. Nanao slammed the last piece into place a moment later, frustrated beyond all words. One second. She'd lost by one freakin' second. That sucked. Royally.

Ichigo walked over and surveyed her puzzle to make sure she'd gotten everything right. "Soi Fon wins immunity!" he said, declaring the challenge officially over. He then brought her the immunity and put it over her shoulder. She smiled, her heart still beating wildly from nerves. Tch, and people thought she had nerves of steel. "Congrats," he said, grinning. "You're in the final four."

"Thank you," Soi Fon said quietly. After a few moments, everyone started getting ready to go, heading back out the way they'd come.

But Ichigo wasn't about to let that happen. "Hey, guys, wait up!" he called out. They all turned around and stared at him for a moment, not sure what was going on. "Where do you think you're going?" They all blinked in confusion. "You're not going back to camp. We're going straight to tribal council. You're going _that _way." He pointed in the completely opposite direction.

"Shit!" Ikkaku swore loudly. "You're serious?"

"Why would I joke about something like that?" Ichigo asked, smirking.

Everyone slowly started walking the direction he'd pointed, different expressions on their faces. Some were indifferent, some were confused, but one was absolutely murderous. Ikkaku's last chance had just been taken from him. If he ever found Fate, he swore then and there that'd he fuck her up so badly she'd never put a knot in his strings again (**A/N: that's just a reference to the myths that Fate was a woman who would spin a tangled web, like a spider. Every person's life was just one string in a giant web. Pull on one, you affect another, that kind of thing.**).

The scene shifted to tribal council, where Ichigo was waiting for them, a huge smirk on his face. Everyone walked in and sat down; their torches had already been brought over from camp and been lit, standing behind them. "We'll now bring in the members of the jury," Ichigo said. "Rukia, Ulquiorra, Shuhei and Renji, voted out at the last tribal council." Everyone walked in, in their normal jury clothes. Renji – he still hadn't found a suitable hair tie – was wearing a dark red tank top that was only slightly darker than his hair and a pair of black baggy jeans. He looked like he'd let Shuhei dress him.

Ichigo sat down. "Well, this has been an interesting three days," he said, his smirk growing. "You had one hell of a reward challenge, one hell of a reward and then you get to the immunity challenge and have no time to go back to camp. And on top of all of that, we're down to five freakin' people. Four of you'll go on to become the final four. How's that feel, Gin?"

"I like it," Gin said simply. "Of course, it's difficult because you have to start considering who you want to take with you to the final two. At this point, that's all you can think about."

"That's the longest sentence I think you've ever said at a tribal council," Ichigo said. Gin only chuckled. "But on the other hand of that, someone ain't gonna make it. And that has to suck, considering there's only three days left."

"Are ya fuckin' kiddin' me?" Ikkaku demanded. "It worse than sucks! Especially when ya don't even get a fuckin' chance to talk to people back at camp before comin' to this shithole!" He rolled his eyes. "I may've won that reward, Ichigo, but I still feel like I was the one screwed in this whole situation."

"You're just frustrated because you're going home and you can't do anything about it," Soi Fon said, rolling her eyes. Now that made the jury squirm in excitement! Drama?! "Anyone else in your situation would be just as pissed and just as angry."

"Easy for you to say, bitch," Ikkaku said. "You've got fuckin' immunity around your shoulders."

"It's just as easy for me to say," Nanao said.

"Nanao, you're so fuckin' weak there's no way anyone would vote you out at this point!" Ikkaku fumed. Nanao turned around to glare at him, enraged. "Everyone here can beat ya, an' everyone knows it!"

"Excuse me?!" Nanao asked, seeing red. "What did you just say?"

"You're sitting two feet away from me, I think ya heard me pretty fuckin' well!" Ikkaku snapped at her.

"How dare you say something like that?!" she screamed at him. "Who do you think you are??"

"I know exactly who the fuck I am!" Ikkaku yelled back at her. "An' I ain't lyin', an' ya know it! Someone here's gotta say the truth, an' I ain't gonna sugarcoat it for ya!" Over in the jury section, Renji and Shuhei were just about breaking a rib from trying to suppress their laughter.

"Then what would you say about me, Ikkaku?" Soi Fon asked dangerously.

"That you're a manipulative, backstabbin' bitch who'd sell out her own mother if she thought it would benefit her," Ikkaku said without even blinking. "You're absolute scum in my eyes an' nothin' ya can ever do'll redeem ya."

"How original," Soi Fon said, smirking.

"Would ya prefer I called ya names?" Ikkaku demanded. "Compare to ya to other traitors??"

"Go right ahead," Soi Fon said.

"Geez, you're like fuckin' Benedict Arnold," Ikkaku swore.

"Who's Benedict Arnold?" she asked, bewildered.

"He sold out an entire army in some place in the real world," Ikkaku explained. "Ya know what they did to him? They cut him up into little tiny pieces an' burned him, scatterin' his ashes on the wind!" Her eyes narrowed; she would compare him to that?? "But you're worse than that!! You're worse than even that Brutus guy who murdered his own king! You're like that frickin' guy Judas – YOU WORSE THAN SOLD OUT YOUR FRICKIN' GOD!" (**Sorry if this offends any Christians – I don't mean it that way**).

"Excuse me?!" Soi Fon demanded. She'd never heard of any of those men and she wasn't about to question why Ikkaku knew about that. Impinging on religion though…that was going too far. "Who the fuck are you to judge me? This is a game!!"

Ikkaku completely ignored her. "Tell me, Soi Fon!" he said, looking her straight in the eye. "Would you be my Judas tonight?" And honest to god, he was completely serious.

"Okay, okay!" Ichigo said. This had gotten way out of hand!! "That's enough!" he bellowed when it looked as if Soi Fon still wanted to argue the point. "It's time to vote." Soi Fon stood up stiffly and stalked off to the confessional, murder gleaming in her eyes. And over in the jury section, everyone except Ulquiorra – who were merely smirking softly – was laughing their asses off. There were very harsh words from the confessional on both accounts. "I'll go tally the votes," Ichigo said. "Try not to kill each while I'm gone." His words may have been teasing, but he was completely serious.

"I'll remind everyone that once the votes have been read, the decision is final and the person voted out will be asked to leave the tribal council area immediately," Ichigo said, still eyeing them warily, as if he expected them to jump out of their seats and start fighting immediately – which was probably a valid concern. "First vote: Ikkaku. Next vote: Soi Fon.

"Ikkaku." He pulled up the fourth vote. "The sixteenth person voted out of Survivor: Soul Reaper Style and the fifth member of the jury – Ikkaku. Three votes is enough, it's time to bring me your torch." Ikkaku stood up and mocked being stabbed in the chest. As the jury laughed yet again, he gave Soi Fon the bird and then brought his torch over to Ichigo. "Ikkaku, the tribe has spoken. It's time for you to go." And Ikkaku's torch was extinguished. He saluted once to the remaining members of Seikahou, most of who rolled their eyes and then walked down the path.

"Well," Ichigo said, turning to face the remaining members of Seikahou. "I don't have a lot to say after all that. Grab your torches, head on back to camp."

And so ended episode fourteen.

* * *

Ikkaku's final words: For the first few moments of his post-voted out interview, all he could was laugh hysterically. "Oh, man, I said I was goin' out with a bang, didn't I?" he asked the camera. "Jeez…an' by the way, thanks to Yumichika for tellin' me 'bout all those traitors. Guess goin' to school for a bit in the mortal world did 'im some good after all. Well, I tried as hard I could. I knew I was goin' home tonight, so I tried to make Soi Fon just as mad as possible." He barked out another laugh. "Heh, guess it worked pretty good."

* * *

Wow, that was an intense fight. But I tried to make Ikkaku go out with a bang. Hopefully, I succeeded. Also, the motorcycle is a real motorcycle - and it's freaking awesome - so you can look it up if you want. Well, then there's only one more episode and the reunion show next. I don't want it to be over!! So sad, lol. But the next chapter will have to be split into two parts, just because it'll probably too long. I'll still upload them at the same time though, so don't worry.

Review? It makes my day XD!!


	25. Episode 15

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Bleach or Survivor. I just stuck the two of them together.

**Rating: **T

**A/N: **Oh my god, it's been like a month since I updated this. I am soooooo sorry!! The only thing I can claim for an excuse is that I was sick for a while and had a lot of make-up work to do, but even that doesn't cut everything. I fully understand if you want to draw and quarter me or something, flay me, tie me up and throw me in a river. Ugh, I hate that I waited this long to update. Still...this is the finale episode. There will be one more chapter after this, and it'll be the reunion. This is un-edited, so I'm sorry for any spelling mistakes. Also, in the middle of the chapter is the little remembrance thing they do every season with the final three. So the random speeches are kind of like the people who have been voted out's looking-back speeches. Thanks again for all the reviews!!

* * *

**Soul Reaper Survivor  
Episode Fifteen (Finale) – Live to Die Another Day**

For the past thirty-six days, twenty Soul Reapers have been taken from their normal lives and placed in the middle of a deserted island in the South Rukon Sea. Forced to work together, they have been battling the elements, hunger, lack of communication with their friends and families and ultimately each other all for one reason – to win the ultimate prize of a paid lifetime membership to an elite Soul Reaper spa. It has not been easy – injuries, relationships, physical challenges and emotional breakdowns have plagued the contestants from the start. And yet they've all pushed through in the hopes of victory.

At first, the twenty contestants were divided into two teams of ten, Shireyu and Uzukutora. Each battled the other in a series of harsh physical challenges and endured complicated strategies. On day twenty-two, the two tribes merged into one and became the Seikahou tribe. All challenges turned individual, and the mental warfare only got tougher. The arts of blindsiding and backstabbing were common play, and everyone seemed to have a different view on what was right and what was wrong. It is now down to the final four. And the main categories of game players are well represented – we have the Underdog, the Flirt, the Schemer, and the Dark Horse.

Nanao Ise, the lieutenant of division eight – she's managed to keep herself alive in this game far longer than most people expected her to, but she's still on the outs. All throughout this game, she's been the underdog, and she's fighting for her life.

Rangiku Matsumoto, the lieutenant of division ten – by charming and smooth-talking her way into the finals, this flirt has kept herself alive. But beneath her ditzy exterior is a cunning and brutal strategist whose only inhibition is voting against her best friend in the game.

Soi Fon, the captain of division two – obviously the most brutal contestant in this game, she's schemed and betrayed her former alliance in order to move herself into the finals. But no one can say it's for lack of hard work – she's earned every bit of her right to sit in the finals!

Gin Ichimaru, the captain of division three – no one expected him to make it, but this dark horse has managed to skirt his way into the finals. He has no alliances with any of the others, but he's survived far longer than he was supposed to.

In the next three days, these four remaining contestants will be given trials the likes of which they've never seen before. The end of the race is always the hardest, and so will these four soon find out. And in a few short days, the winner will be crowned. Three tribal councils, two immunity challenges, one Survivor.

* * *

"What an asshole!" Soi Fon said angrily, kicking a log. She instantly regretted it though when she felt her toe throb in pain. She threw her bag down on the ground. She whirled around to see the cautious faces of the other three. "Am I wrong here?"

"Well, perhaps he did go a little out of line," Rangiku said quietly.

"A little?!" Soi Fon demanded. "A little?! He fucking said I as good as betrayed my own god! Where the hell does he get off? This is a fucking game and he isn't even mature enough to understand that!"

"Soi Fon, he only said those things to get under your skin," Nanao said cautiously. "Please, calm down-"

"Don't you fucking tell me to fucking calm down!" Soi Fon yelled back at the other woman. "Do you think that telling me that makes me feel any better about it?? I'm so mad right now I don't even have the words to describe it!" She stalked over to the fire and plopped down on a log, staring into the fire with a malicious glare on her face. "As of right now, Ikkaku Madarame is my worst enemy."

"Soi Fon, you said yourself that this is just a game," Rangiku reminded her. "He didn't mean any of that."

"Of course he fucking meant it!" Soi Fon spat viciously. "People don't say things that they don't mean when they have nothing to fucking gain from it! He had nothing to gain by saying that so he was being completely and brutally fucking honest! He meant every word of what he said!"

"Well, you can't fault him for having his own opinion," Gin commented nonchalantly, sitting down across from Soi Fon.

"What?" the dark-haired woman asked dangerously. "_What _did you just say?"

"I believe that you heard me perfectly well," Gin responded, smirking.

"You asshole!" Soi Fon screeched. "You're just as bad as him!" She stood up and stalked off down the beach. "I don't want to see any of the rest of you for the entire fucking night!" The rest of them looked around at each other nervously; was she seriously _that _upset? But it was over such a stupid reason. She'd never let anyone else's opinion affect her so much before.

"That's really immature," Nanao said with a sigh.

"You think?" Rangiku asked, snorting. "Right now, she's just a loose cannon. The sooner we get her out of here, the better."

"Agreed," Nanao said, nodding.

Gin chuckled. "Have you completely forgotten the conversation we had a few days ago, Rangiku?" he asked. "What's good for you might not necessarily be best for me."

Rangiku crossed her arms over her chest angrily. "Let's cross that bridge when we get there," she said coldly. "We'll just have to see what happens in tomorrow's immunity challenge, won't we?"

* * *

"Last night was not fun," Rangiku admitted the next morning. "Honestly, it sucked. First, Soi Fon had to go all ballistic on us because she was mad at Ikkaku. But I mean, that is so hypocritical, because she's been saying horrible things about Nanao for weeks. And she's the one who's all 'this is just a game' and 'what we say here isn't really true'." She rolled her eyes. "She was just being a moody bitch, there's no other way to put it. And then Gin had to go and 'remind' me of that little chat we had a couple days ago. Like I honestly wanted to hear that just then. I was about ready to puke."

* * *

The next morning, it was apparently Rangiku and Nanao's turn to cook breakfast. Rangiku was watching the water and waiting for it to boil while Nanao was cutting up coconuts and throwing them into a pan on the fire, which Rangiku was also watching. It was early morning, and the sky was cloudy and gray. Not particularly appealing. Soi Fon hadn't returned from her late-night excursion and Gin was still sound asleep in the shelter.

"That was a wild conversation last night," Nanao remarked quietly, offering something up to the silence as she hacked at another coconut.

"Tch, I don't even know what to say," Rangiku admitted. "Soi Fon went off like a mad dog and Gin just added more wood to the freakin' fire."

"What did he mean by the conversation you two had had earlier?" Nanao asked quietly after a moment or two. "What was he talking about?"

"Oh," Rangiku said. "That." She was quiet for a moment. She didn't want to lie to Nanao about what Gin had said, but she didn't really want to tell her the truth either. She didn't really feel like telling anyone to be honest. "Well, a couple of days ago, he'd asked who I was going to take to the finals, if I was in that position."

Nanao paused for a moment before responding. "And what did you say?"

"You, of course," Rangiku said, frowning at her as if she crazy. "What did you think I would say?"

"Well, I don't know, you made a deal to keep Gin here once, you could do it again," Nanao said quickly. "I would be hurt if you decided to do that since we made a pact to the final two, but this is just a game."

"Nanao, I never once considered flipping on you," Rangiku said. "And you should know that."

"I didn't mean that you were going to-"

"Just leave it alone, Nanao," Rangiku said. "Just leave it alone."

"Rangiku, I didn't mean it that way," Nanao said. "I only meant that if I had been in your position, I would have considered all my options."

"Oh, so you're saying that you would've turned on me if it had benefitted you?" Rangiku asked snappily. "Because I sure as hell wasn't intending on doing that to you, but if you're telling me that that's the case, I can rectify the situation in a heartbeat."

"Would you listen to me?" Nanao demanded, putting her hands on her hips and glaring at the other woman. "My only loyalty in this game right now is to you. Not Gin, not Soi Fon, _you. _I would weigh out the options and look at every possibility, but only if would benefit the both of us. As far as I'm concerned, we are one package now. You've saved my ass more times than I count and I'm not throwing you under the bus this late in the game."

"Fine," Rangiku said. "That's what I was saying too."

"Then what are we arguing over?" Nanao asked, blinking.

Rangiku paused and put a finger to her mouth. "Huh," she said. "I don't know. I guess it was just a misunderstanding?"

"I suppose," Nanao said, smiling faintly.

* * *

"My conversation with Rangiku this morning opened my eyes," Nanao admitted later on, pushing her hair behind her ears. "She's completely ruthless behind her ditzy exterior, and she hides it extremely well. But I mean, what do you expect? She grew up with Gin Ichimaru, who's more cunning than cleverness itself. Would she turn on me? In a heartbeat, if I did something to upset her. In that sense, she's the most dangerous person here. Because she easily could go with anyone to the finals. It's the same thing with Soi Fon." She chuckled a bit. "That's probably why she keeps saying that Soi Fon is the most dangerous person here; she knows it's not true – it's her."

* * *

"See, what did I tell you?" Gin asked Rangiku later on that day. "Nanao isn't planning to take you with her to the finals. She's already slated herself up for the next move."

"Gin, I don't want to hear it!" Rangiku said angrily. "I am not taking you to the finals with me and that is that!"

"Then you know that that makes us enemies now," Gin stated quietly.

"It doesn't have to be that way," she insisted stubbornly. "We can go to three and then you win immunity. Your only competition is me and Nanao, honestly, you could win. Then you could take me to the finals and you'd have your way."

"Yes, but I don't know if I can beat you like that," he said, sighing.

"In the final vote, you mean?" she asked.

"Yes," he answered.

"Don't give me that!" she said, standing up and clenching her fists at her side. "You have Rukia and Ulquiorra in your pocket. And do you really think anybody in my old alliance would vote for me? I betrayed them just as much as Soi Fon! Worse than that, I frickin' orchestrated it!"

"So you're saying that you think I would be able to beat you?" he asked.

"Easily," she said, nodding. "Without any doubts."

"Then why would you want me in the final three with you and Nanao?" he asked.

"Honestly, I can't beat you or Soi Fon at anything physical," she admitted, crossing her arms over her chest. "But I would feel better taking you to the final three because I basically carried you here. I would rather see someone I helped get to the finals win than someone I really don't like win."

"So you don't like me at all?" a voice asked from down the beach. Soi Fon was striding angrily towards the pair of them, a completely murderous expression on her face. "I was basically conned into betraying my alliance by someone who just wanted to help their ex-boyfriend win this game?" Her eyes were livid.

"Gin has never been my boyfriend, nor will he ever be," Rangiku said, glaring at the other woman. "And no, I don't like you. You flipped so easily when you had nothing to gain! I did it because my alliance was on the chopping block. What's your excuse? Are you that eager to win?"

"Shut up!" Soi Fon said coldly. "It's obvious to me now that you're the malicious one, Rangiku. Who's next on your hit list? Nanao? How pathetic."

"My hit list?" Rangiku asked, giggling. "What, do you think I'm some sort of con man for the mob, looking for someone to get rid of? And don't flatter yourself, Soi Fon – you think that you're not malicious? You betrayed an alliance that had accepted you completely. You sold out. I just did what I had to to stay in this game a little longer. If anyone's pathetic here, it's you."

* * *

"I have officially had it up to here with Soi Fon," Rangiku vented to the camera, putting her hand at neck-height. "She's a bitch, plain and simple, and she's trying to make it look like she's done nothing wrong this entire time, that she's been played and conned into doing what's she done!" She rolled her eyes. "Please. Only idiots get conned. So if she honestly wants someone to blame, she can blame herself for doing what she did. No one forced her to betray Shuhei, Renji and Ikkaku. She did that all on her own. I may have suggested the idea, but it's not something I forced her to do. If you can't accept your actions, the least you can do is not blame someone else for your own mistakes!"

* * *

There was so much drama back at camp that Nanao was honestly glad to go and retrieve the mail. She'd had a falling out with Rangiku, Soi Fon and Rangiku were at each other's throats, Gin and Rangiku weren't seeing eye to eye…what else could possibly go wrong? Honestly, not much. If it weren't for the prize, she would've just left the game to get out of this constant drama a long time ago. It was horrible!

She sighed as she reached down into the mail bag to procure the note. She had no doubts that it was there; after all, they had to have a challenge at some point today. Her hand closed down upon a rolled-up piece of paper that was tied together with a piece of string. She pulled it out and began to walk back to camp. She only hoped that the other three could stand sitting together long enough for her to read it to everyone.

As she had expected, the other three were back at camp – though they were as far away from each other as possible in the confined space. Soi Fon was sitting by the fire, jabbing at the ground with a stick. Rangiku had her arms crossed over her chest and was standing near a coconut tree. Gin was squatting down near the ground, drawing designs absently in the dirt. She wasn't even going to go there.

"We have mail, you guys," she said quietly, holding up the note. Everyone's attention turned to her and she opened the note up. "'All the challenges so far have been tough on your body. But if you think the hard part's over, you're not fooling anybody. This is the hardest one yet, and it won't be easy. But if you're not quick on your feet, you might go join the jury.'" She looked up to see three very different reactions.

"Well, we'd better get going," Rangiku said with a sigh. "Now where did I put my shoes?"

"Try in your chest," Soi Fon sneered. "Isn't that where everything else goes?"

Rangiku glared at the other woman while Nanao and Gin looked at each other. Gin shrugged while Nanao just grinned nervously. "At least I have a chest, Soi Fon," Rangiku shot back angrily, picking up her sneakers and sitting down to put them on.

"Like I haven't heard that one before," the Captain said, rolling her eyes.

* * *

"It's come down to basically enemy status with Rangiku," Soi Fon revealed. "Yeah, it's petty to just throw insults like that at each other, but I honestly just don't want to deal with her anymore. I thought that she was okay with me, but apparently she doesn't like me. It hurts when you're lied to like that for so long because when you finally find out you feel like you've been betrayed. But now it just makes me want to beat her even more."

* * *

The scene shifted to the challenge area. There was a huge maze constructed before them, painted all sorts of colors with all sorts of different pictures on the wooden planks. Ichigo was waiting for them, his hands in his pockets. "What's up, guys?" he asked, smirking at the daunted looks on everyone's faces. "You guys ready for today's immunity challenge?" A couple people nodded; the others were just too stunned to acknowledge his statement. "First things first, Soi Fon, I'll be needing that back." He pointed to the immunity sword around her back.

Soi Fon stepped forward and took it off, handing it to him reluctantly. "Don't want to part with it just yet," she said, smiling.

"Tch, course not," Ichigo said, taking the sword and putting it back on its perch. "Okay then, immunity is back up for grabs. For today's challenge, we've constructed a huge maze. There are five different stations within the maze, all with a different ladder rung in your specific color. You're gonna be running through the maze and its obstacles trying to go to the different stations. When you get to a station, untie your rung and come back to the center of the maze, putting your rung down on the mat at the bottom of your tower. When you've got all the rungs, put your ladder together, climb to the top and chop the rope that's keeping your flag from raising.

"The first person to raise their flag wins immunity, and is guaranteed a one in three shot at winning this game," he continued. "Those're huge stakes." He clapped his hands together. "So, who's ready to get started? Go ahead and find your colored mat and wait 'til I give the go-ahead." Everyone spread out along the maze and found their colored mat – red for Soi Fon, pink for Rangiku, purple for Gin and blue for Nanao. Ichigo had climbed up to the central tower where all the flags were; he easily had a great view of the entire course that way. "Survivors ready!" he yelled out loudly, the wind whipping at his hair and shirt. "GO!!"

At once, all four Survivors shot down the narrow corridors of the maze. Everyone wanted to win this because this was definitely going to be the hardest challenge that they'd ever had. All the pain and suffering they'd experienced…it would all be for nothing if they went home tonight. And no one wanted to go home when you could practically taste the end.

They all scrambled over sticks, under brambles, through rope webs and every other kind of obstacle imaginable. Soon there were scratches on their arms, legs and faces and tears in their clothing, but none of that mattered. All that mattered now was winning. After about fifteen minutes, Soi Fon and Rangiku were in the lead with two ladder rungs. Gin was bringing back his second and Nanao was just getting to her second station.

It was clear that Rangiku and Soi Fon weren't really battling against Gin or Nanao – they were fighting each other, fighting to get the other gone tonight. They were both sick of the other and wanted to be the victor in this catfight. They were throwing themselves into the maze with a ferocity that stunned Ichigo. Hair snagged, skin tore and clothes ripped; bruises formed, blood was shed and sweat practically dripped from every pore on their bodies. But who cared? Winning was the only thing in their minds at this point.

Another fifteen minutes had passed and Rangiku had a slight edge over Soi Fon. She had three rungs and was racing back with her fourth while the other woman was still untying the knots at her fourth station. Gin had three and was searching for his fourth. Nanao was still bringing up the rear with her third rung. Rangiku suddenly appeared out of the maze, running hard; she threw her rung on her mat and turned around, searching for the only path that she had yet to take. Seeing it, she sprinted away.

Not a minute later, Soi Fon was back with her fourth rung. She didn't hesitate either; she didn't want to lose to Rangiku any more than Rangiku wanted to lose to her. The two both raced to their fifth stations, reaching them within moments of each other. Their fingers flew at the knots, rubbing the pads of their fingers raw with friction. Both rungs were released within moments of each other and the two were off back to the main station, running like maniacs.

As soon as she entered the main area, Rangiku picked up all her ladder rungs and began looking at them, trying to figure out which rung matched which of the slots. Soi Fon, on the other, just started pushing the rungs into the slots and hoping they'd fit. Neither seemed to have a direct advantage over the other. Finally, Soi Fon put her fifth and final rung into place and scrambled up the tower, grabbing the knife and chopping off her rope. Rangiku threw her final rung down into the sand irritably, stalking off with her hands on her hips.

"Soi Fon wins immunity!" Ichigo cried, raising his hands into the air. He picked up the immunity and handed it to the slight woman, who put it over her chest with gusto, breathing heavily. "Congrats, you've just moved into the final three, earning your spot to participate in the final immunity challenge. For one of the rest of you, that ain't true. One of you guys is gonna go home tonight. I'll see you guys tonight."

* * *

When the four of them got back to camp, Soi Fon just collapsed on the beach, spreading her arms wide and letting her feet drag in the water. She had a dazed smile on her face even though she was very sweaty and still breathing heavily. Rangiku rolled her eyes as she passed the other woman, her tennis shoes hanging over her shoulders by the laces. "Stupid bitch," she muttered.

"I heard that," Soi Fon told her lightly.

"That was the point, honey!" Rangiku said sweetly.

Nanao – who was following close behind the busty woman – shook her head at the other two's choice at verbal warfare. "You don't have to be so rude to her," she pointed out once they'd gotten back to their campsite. Rangiku shot her a dirty look. "I know you don't like her, and to be honest, she's not my favorite person in the world either, but you're not exactly endearing yourself to any of the people here."

"It wasn't my goal to come out here and make friends, Nanao," Rangiku reminded her. "Me and Soi Fon don't get along; we clash. Our personalities are just total opposites. And tonight would have been the perfect opportunity to vote her out." She sighed. "I don't know what we're going to do now."

"What do you mean?" Nanao asked, blinking. "It's you and me to the end."

"But then we would have to vote for Gin," Rangiku pointed out. "And I've made it known that I want to keep him here as long as possible. If I'm not voting for you and I'm not voting for him, I can't vote for anybody. It has to be one of the two of you."

"You made a deal with me," Nanao reminded her sharply. "You didn't make any such deal with him."

"I know that," Rangiku said. "And I'm not going back on it." She sighed. "Dammit, if only I'd won that freakin' challenge!"

"Seriously," Nanao said, smiling lightly to try and alleviate the tense atmosphere.

"No need to remind me," Rangiku snapped, finally putting down her sneakers and stalking off to the shelter. "I'm gonna lie down for a while. Tell me if anything interesting happens."

* * *

"To be completely and totally honest, Rangiku has really been somewhat annoying to be around lately," Nanao admitted to the camera, her face scrunched up in displeasure. "I didn't really want to be the person to say it, but it's true. She's bitchy and complains about everything. I don't know if it's just that the island's starting to get to her or what, but it's kind of grating on my nerves. And then there's the fact that she'd probably get rid of me if it improved her chances of winning this game." She sighed. "Things are just so tense right now. It's ridiculous."

* * *

The scene shifted to Nanao working at the fire, tending to the coconuts. She was hacking away at the tough shells, trying to eke a meal out for the four of them before they had to go to tribal council. Soi Fon was still laying out down on the beach, content to just be. Rangiku was still lying down in the shelter, apparently too pissed off to care about strategizing. Gin was sitting across from her, staring into the fire with just a hint of his residual smirk on his face.

"It doesn't have to be this way, you know," he said suddenly. His voice was so quiet Nanao had to stop and look at him for a moment to see if he'd really said anything.

"Excuse me?" she asked quietly. "I don't quite understand what you mean."

"If tonight goes the way things are looking now, it'll be a tie," he explained. "Two for me and two for Rangiku. I don't want that to happen. Ties are dangerous."

"You're not voting for me?" she asked, surprised. She would've thought that he'd had more loyalty than that, especially to the woman who saved his ass.

"Rangiku is the bigger threat," he said simply. "And she's made it clear that she's taking you to the finals even if it kills her."

"So you'd betray her?" she asked.

"I never made any sort of alliance with her," he said, his smirk growing. "I can't be blamed for what she assumes. And you know what they say about people who assume!" He said the last bit in a sing-song voice that had Nanao rolling her eyes.

"So you want me to go against Rangiku – who's also saved _my _ass several times – and vote for her tonight?" she asked. "I really don't want to do that, you know."

"So you're willing to risk a tie and lose her anyways?" he suggested. "Ties come down to tiebreaker challenge, and I have to say, I'm better at making fire than Rangiku is. So either way, you'd be losing her voluntarily or involuntarily."

"It's not the fact that I'd be losing her," she pointed out. "It's a question of morality."

"Morality is for dummies," he said, chuckling.

* * *

"Morality," Gin said, chuckling again to the cameras. "What is morality, exactly? It's one of those things that's determined in the eyes of the beholder. What's moral to me obviously isn't moral to her. I grew up in Rukongai, alone and having to rely on myself. You have to look out for number one."

* * *

The scene shifted to the tribal council area. Ichigo was waiting for them there. He waited until all four of them were sitting down before bringing in the members of the jury. "I'll now bring in the members of the jury: Rukia, Ulquiorra, Shuhei, Renji and Ikkaku, voted out last tribal council." The respective members came in as their names were called, sitting down in the area reserved for them. Ichigo then took his seat.

"Well, this is the end of the first part of the final three days," he announced. "It's gotta be good to be getting to the end of this thing." He pointed to Soi Fon. "Soi Fon, you're basically skin and bones. I dunno if you'd weigh ten pounds soaking wet."

Soi Fon snorted. "Well, Ichigo, it hasn't been easy," she said. "And I am looking forward to getting back to my job, my friends and my family and my normal life. But this has been an incredible experience, and I wouldn't have given it up for anything. I don't think I'd trade it for anything either."

"So you definitely got something outta this?" the host continued.

"Yeah," Soi Fon said, nodding. "I think I learned a lot about myself – not all of it good, but again, not everything in life is sugarcoated." A few members of the jury rolled their eyes at that statement. "And then there's the competitor in me who just wants to win, and who's still pushing me to go all the way while the sane side of me is just telling me to get the hell out of here."

"Okay then," Ichigo said. "Moving on. So, it's the final three days and tensions have gotta be running high. Any fights, struggles, enemy statuses coming out?"

"Hah!" Rangiku said, unable to hold back her amusement. "Are you kidding me?"

"I take it that's a yes," Ichigo said blankly.

"Yes, that's a yes," Soi Fon agreed. "Rangiku had previously come to me for help in forming alliances, but I found out –just today, in fact – that she never really liked me at all, and that she was basically only using me because she needed a vote. I felt totally and completely betrayed and honestly have nothing to say to her."

"That makes you sound like a victim," Ichigo accused. "I'm sure Rangiku doesn't see it that way."

"Hell no," Rangiku said. "Soi Fon has played the martyr card this whole game. And she can continue to play it, I don't really care. But she plays it, and she plays it well. Of course I only needed your vote, Soi Fon. When did I ever say that I loved you for your charming personality?" Several jury members smirked at that. "Like I've said before, I had nothing to lose by flipping this game around and going with Gin – I was on the outskirts of my alliance and everyone here knows that. You flipped and you had everything to lose. So why did you do it?"

"I've already told you that you conned me into believing something that wasn't true," Soi Fon said darkly. "So don't start with me."

"It isn't my fault that you believed me," Rangiku said. "Don't blame me for your stupidity!"

"Alright, alright," Ichigo said, wanting to break up the fight before it had a chance to escalate. "Let's just get to the vote. Gin, you're up first." One by one, the four made their way up to the voting confessional, where they cast their votes. Once they were finished, Ichigo went and collected the container. "Once the votes have been read, the decision is final and the person voted out will be asked to leave the tribal council area immediately. I'll read the votes. First vote – Rangiku.

"Next vote – Soi Fon. Rangiku." He pulled out the final piece of paper and opened it, staring at the name for a moment before turning it around. "Last vote – Rangiku. That's three votes, that's enough. It's time to bring me your torch." Rangiku smiled and stood up, grabbing her torch as she walked over to Ichigo. "Rangiku," he said, "the tribe has spoken. It's time for you to go." And with that, he extinguished her torch. She looked back over her shoulder and waved once before leaving down the walkway.

Ichigo turned back to the remaining members of the tribe. "Well, it's down to three," he said. "I'll meet you guys tomorrow at your beach with your final set of instructions for your last challenge and then we'll get down to it. Get some rest tonight; you'll need it."

* * *

Rangiku's last words: "Am I surprised that I'm the one who got sent packing tonight?" she asked; she shook her head. "No, not really. I had a feeling that I was going, mainly because of the issue between Soi Fon and I. Knowing Nanao, I realize that she didn't betray me. She just wanted to get me out of there because she knew that I didn't really want to be there anymore. I actually talked to her about it before we left for tribal, and she told me what she was doing." She shrugged. "So I didn't win the game. I still have a shot at making this thing difficult for somebody." She giggled. "I hope it's Soi Fon, just so I can nail her good!"

* * *

The only word that could properly describe the mood back at camp was quiet. There wasn't anything to fight over, and there wasn't really anything to be said about what was going to happen next. Soi Fon was staring into the fire, her hands clasped together under her chin. Gin was poking at the flames with a stick, watching as they would rise higher and then shrink back to normal with every move of the stick. Nanao was sitting opposite the two of them, staring out at the water.

"Why did you do it?" Soi Fon murmured suddenly, moving her gray eyes so that they were fixed on Nanao. "Why did you vote out your only ally in this game?"

"She didn't want to be here anymore," Nanao said quietly. "The tension between you and her was definitely wearing on her, and I could tell. She wasn't mad that I voted for her; in fact, she knew I was doing it, and she was okay with it. She wanted me to go as far as I can, and I'm trying to do that. She knows that it was nothing personal."

"But you gave her your word that you'd never vote for me," Gin pointed out, smirking. "And you just broke that."

"I didn't break it," Nanao said, shaking her head. "She said that I didn't have to keep my word any more. She released me from that promise, and even encouraged me to vote for her. I did nothing wrong and nothing you can say will convince me otherwise."

"Yeah, Gin, just give it a rest," Soi Fon said wearily. "We're here, and we're the final three. There's no use thinking about the past now. We just have to move on and hope that the jury's not too hard on whoever makes it to the final two."

"Are you kidding me?" Nanao asked, snorting. "They're going to absolutely murder any of us. They think that I just floated by in this game. They don't like how you backstabbed your old alliance. And Gin hasn't done anything relatively important in this game. Rangiku had the best chance of winning in a final two vote, and she's gone now. They won't hold back on us."

"I can always hope," Soi Fon said defiantly. "You haven't lost until it's over."

"True," Nanao admitted. "And this game is most definitely not over."

* * *

The next morning, Ichigo arrived at the Seikahou camp in the wee hours of the morning. No one was awake yet, so he went up to the shelter and let out a few loud yells to wake them, snickering at their startled jumps and curses. "What the hell, Ichigo?!" Soi Fon protested blearily, rubbing at her eyes as she sat up.

"Gotta wake you up somehow," he said, smirking.

"Couldn't you have been a bit more civil?" Nanao complained, holding the head that she'd bumped on the side of the shelter.

"Probably," Ichigo allowed, nodding, "but you didn't really think I would do something like that, did you?" He snickered at the glare she threw him. "Anyways, today is your final challenge. But before you do that, you're gonna go through a rite of passage of sort. You're gonna get a chance to reflect on all the people who've been in this game, playing with you and competing against you. It's your last chance to make peace with the game. Along the path you find, you're gonna find the torches of your fallen comrades. Take those torches with you and when you get to the end of the trail, throw them over the edge of the cliff into the water below. After that, you can head on out to the final challenge, which will be at the bottom of that cliff. I'll see you guys later." And with that, he was gone.

Nanao groaned and fell back onto her thin pallet of palm fronds. "I don't want to get up now," she mumbled.

"Me neither," Soi Fon said, yawning, "but we need to get going or we'll never make it through all the stuff we have to do today." She stood up and stretched out a bit before going over to tap both of the others with her foot, nudging them gently. "Come on, you all, it's time to get up."

Gin groaned and threw his hands over his head like a little child, but Nanao irritably threw back her thin blanket and stood up. "Alright, alright, I'm up, I'm up!" she said, clutching her thin tee-shirt around her. It was cold in the early hours here. "Gin, wake up now before I come over there and make you get up!" she threatened darkly. "If I have to wake up, so do you."

"Do I have to?" he asked petulantly.

"YES!" both Soi Fon and Nanao chorused together.

"Fine," he muttered sullenly, sitting up and stretching his arms out a bit before he stood up fully and started to put on his sneakers.

"So where does this trail start?" Nanao asked, wrapping her arms around her body.

"Probably out in the forest somewhere," Soi Fon said, stepping out of the shelter and looking around. "Yeah, there's a marked path out here that leads into the trees. So do you guys want to eat something first or just get going?"

"Let's just grab some bananas or something on the way," Nanao suggested, stepping out to join the other woman before going to retrieve her dirty sneakers. "It'll be quicker that way." Soi Fon nodded in agreement and went off to find her own shoes. Gin came out of the shelter last, still not looking quite awake.

After they were all ready to go, they set off for the path in the woods. After a few careful minutes of avoiding tree limbs and fallen branches, they reached a clearing. The path was now clearly visible, and all along the path up to the cliff Ichigo had been talking about were the torches of those who had been voted out. They stepped up to the first one. "Hiyori," Soi Fon read quietly. "Well, she was definitely a spitfire and let everyone know what was on her mind, good or bad." She picked up the torch in her arms and they moved on to the next one…

**Hiyori:** I didn't get the experience that most people got out here. But even in the short time I was out here, I learned that I'm really strong; I can do this shit and no one else can take that away from me.

**Momo:** Coming out here changes you. You don't realize how much it changes you when you first get here, but as you go on, you start to look back on your life back in the Seireitei and you see exactly how different you are. It's really moving, and I know that I'll never be the same person again.

**Stark:** Obviously, this game didn't go as expected for me. But even though I was only in the game for nine days, I got a lot out of this. It really shows us who people are, and what people are willing to do for prizes. Hey, they put up with my laziness for nine days and didn't say a thing about it to my face. What does that say about human nature?

**Kiyone:** This game has completely changed my life. I used to just blow through things and not even worry about how I was affecting others or what I was really doing. This game has made me look back and really think about what I've been doing with my life. And I know that once I get back to my real world, I'm definitely going to change my work ethic.

**Grimmjow:** So I didn't win. Big fuckin' deal. I know that I woulda beat any of these bastards in a one-on-one competition. It wasn't brawn that beat me. People didn't like me an' that ain't my problem. If anythin', this game reaffirmed exactly who I am, an' reminded me that I ain't gonna change for no bitch.

**Lisa:** This game has taught me to not get complacent. There's always something else waiting to go wrong, waiting to surprise you. I actually really value that, because if it wasn't for this game, I probably would've ended up taking a lot of things for granted and not taking time to just notice the little things in life. Because that's what it's all about.

**Yumichika:** This game is hard. And it's not just the physical things; it's the mental things too. It's way too nasty a game for me to play, but I still went out and did the best I could as morally as I could. I didn't win the prize, but I didn't sacrifice my integrity either. I can walk away from this with a great experience and my dignity intact. And to me, that's more important than winning.

**Nemu:** Looking back at this game, one can deduce that it is very cutthroat and strategy-oriented. I happened to start the game too early, and it came back to haunt me. Am I disappointed that I did not win? Not really. I was able to glean quite a bit of useful information about human nature in this game. It is actually kind of like an experiment. In fact, it is the ultimate social experiment.

**Kukaku:** Well, well, well, what can I say? I didn't win, and I got so completely fucked over. But that's okay. There's no use having sour grapes about something as silly as a game like this. Yeah, it would've been nice to win the prize; but I got something that I didn't expect to come out of this with – friends. And that's better than a stupid pass to a spa anyways.

**Aizen:** I was the last person to be voted out before the merge came. In a way, that was a real pain because I didn't get to play during the part of the game that's the most fun, the most devious. Still, I had twenty-one days out here, and I was granted an incredible experience that no one will ever be to take away from me. And it's one heck of a vacation, that's for sure.

**Shinji:** Eh…this game was fun, I guess. I didn't really learn a lot 'bout myself like everyone else seemed to. I know who I am, goddammit! An' that stupid ice cream sundae…I'll be mad at myself forever for takin' that stupid sundae. Oh, well. At least it tasted good.

**Rukia:** I was the first member of the jury. It kind of felt bad to get voted out before Gin or Ulquiorra when I was obviously the weakest physically. But then again, it was nice to get to live in humanity again. And this game is still far from over. The final two are going to have a tough time, because all three of the candidates are people that most people wouldn't have expected to make it this far. And they have a lot of explaining to do.

**Ulquiorra:** To excel at this game requires a social prowess that is far beyond my own abilities. But as a strategist, it is intriguing to watch everything play out exactly how it does. You can never discredit the simple powers of human greed. The human nature astounds me, as well as the extents to which a person will go to keep themselves alive in this game. All in all, it is a fascinating subject, and I cannot express my joy at having been able to witness it firsthand.

**Shuhei:** Do I have issues to still settle? Hell yes. This game ain't over by a long shot, an' I will be damned before I let Soi Fon win. Yeah, she got me good an' ya can say I'm bein' immature. Do I care? Not one bit. This game is completely political, an' the bad politicians get fed to the mob. Soi Fon's gotta learn that, an' who better to teach her that than me, the person she bit in the ass? Ya don't freakin' bite the hand that feeds ya. But apparently she never learned that lesson.

**Renji:** When I first heard 'bout this game, I had no idea that it was gonna be this hard. It's completely…all-encompassin'. There is nothin' ya can imagine like it – it fuckin' takes over your life an' for the past five weeks, that's all I've thought 'bout. It's insane to think how far we were all willin' to go to get this prize. Fuckin' ridiculous. An' it ain't over yet. Am I just gonna give it up now that I'm out? Hell no. I got a say in who wins this thing, an' I ain't gonna just let 'em have it.

**Ikkaku:** I knew I was goin' when I went home, an' so I went out with a bang. But that ain't all you'll ever see of me. I plan on makin' this final tribal so fuckin' memorable that the whole Seireitei's gonna be talkin' 'bout it for weeks. I don't want anyone to forget what happens when ya fuck with someone's head like I got fucked around with. Do I wanna be mean? No, but it looks like I'm gonna hafta be a bit ruthless. Oh, well; it's a lesson that's gotta be taught.

**Rangiku:** Well, it kind of stinks that I didn't get out sooner to observe what was going on with the rest of the jury, but that can't be helped. Does that mean that I regret my time out there? Of course not; I appreciate what I had out there, the friendships I developed, the memories that I made. I'll never forget my time out here. But that's a double-edged sword. And you surely know what I mean.

By now, the three remaining contestants had arrived at the edge of the cliff. Beneath them, the waves were beating against the rocks turbulently. Each of them had a stack of torches in their hands. They all looked at the others before moving as one and throwing all the torches out into the water. They watched slowly as the metal heads caused the last vestiges of the fallen to sink into the water.

"Well, that's that," Soi Fon said quietly, staring down at the water.

"Yeah," Nanao said softly. It was a reverent, almost sacred moment, and she was loathe to break away and have to go compete in a challenge. But she knew that she had to, because she was still in this game, alive and playing. "We should probably head on down to our immunity challenge."

"Yeah," the other woman said, nodding. "Let's go." Together, the three of them began to head down the mountainside, being careful where they placed their feet and which vines they clung to. After a few minutes, they had reached the bottom, where Ichigo was standing waiting for them.

"Well, you guys just completed your final rite of passage," he said, grinning. "You've remembered the seventeen other people who played this game with you, and then offered what was left of their time out here to nature. Corny as that sounds, we gotta get moving. This is your final immunity challenge. So first things first, Soi Fon, I'll be taking that back now." He pointed to the sword around Soi Fon's neck, which she reluctantly took off and handed to him. He placed it on its normal peg and then stepped back.

"Today's challenge is very simple," he said. "It's an endurance challenge. We've set it up here on the beach. On the center pole is the old immunity idol; I'm sure you all remember it." He smiled sardonically. "You are gonna be standing on two other perches, the front one higher than the back. One hand has to be on the idol at all times; move it and you're out. Your other hand cannot touch the idol at any time. Also, you can't lift your feet off the pegs, or you're out. Make sense?" The three of them nodded; only an idiot wouldn't have understood this one. "Okay then, pick your places and we'll get started."

The three remaining contestants took their places and get into position. "This challenge is on," Ichigo said a few moments after he'd seated himself in a nice little chair. "And it could be a while. It's about…oh, one hundred ten degrees out and not a cloud in the sky. It's gonna get pretty hot pretty soon. Just don't slip."

And thus the challenge began. It was similar to the other endurance challenges they'd had in that the positions were designed to be painful, especially after a few hours. They were designed to put you to the test, to test your will to win. It didn't require intelligence, it didn't require strength; it just required will and a little bit on concentration. But sometimes – at this point in the game, anyways – that was hard to come by.

An hour passed and no one had really moved. After all, it was only an hour, and no one wanted to willingly give up their spot in the final two. Because of course, that was the only way to assure yourself that stop at this point in the game. The two losers both had a fifty percent chance of getting sent home. And no one wanted to go home when you were so close to winning. That was the ultimate let-down.

"So lemme remind you all what's at stake here," Ichigo said suddenly. "The winner of this challenge gets a spot in the final two, a guaranteed spot to plead their case to the jury for the grand prize. The losers each got a fifty percent chance of going home. Nanao, how bad would it be to go home tonight?"

"Well, it'd be pretty bad," Nanao said quietly. "We're so close now that going home tonight would just seem like a huge disappointment."

"No one's playing for third, Ichigo," Soi Fon said with a quick grin.

"Fair enough," the host allowed, nodding.

And so the challenge went on. Another several hours passed, and the sun began to rise even higher in the sky. It was fast approaching noon, and the hottest part of the day. Sweat was rolling down backs, faces, arms and legs and dripping onto the sand below. Nanao's glasses had completely fallen off her face and were lying in the sand, forgotten. Hands were finding backs, massaging the knotted muscles and taut skin. It was completely quiet, save for the occasional deep breath being taken and the lapping of waves on the beach. Nope, not a single, solitary –

"Soi Fon!" Ichigo said suddenly. The woman turned to look at him questioningly. "You lifted your back foot off the perch. You're out of the game."

"What?" she asked, her eyes widening. "I didn't move my foot!"

"Yeah, you did," Ichigo said firmly. "You're out of the game."

The woman sighed heavily and straightened up before stepping down onto the sand. She sat down on the ground and lay back on the sand, turned upwards towards the sky. "I cannot believe I did that," she said quietly. She turned her head to Ichigo. "Are you sure I stepped off?"

"Yes, Soi Fon," Ichigo said, rolling his eyes. "You moved your foot. It was only for a second, but that's enough to get you out."

"That sucks," Soi Fon muttered, putting her arms up to cover her face from the sun.

"And so it's down to two," Ichigo said, grinning slightly. Gin and Nanao were still fiercely concentrating on the task at hand. "You can't lose focus for a second, or you're out." Soi Fon snorted at that comment. "Gin, how badly do you want this?"

"Well, considering the fact that I haven't won anything yet and I'm the only man with two women, I think it's rather amusing that I haven't won yet," he admitted, smirking. "So I would like to win this one, if only to prove that I am indeed capable of winning."

"A noble pursuit," Ichigo said, chuckling a bit. "What about you, Nanao? How badly do you want this?"

"If I don't win this, Ichigo, I have a feeling that I'm going home tonight," was her answer. "I need to win this. Not for anyone else, not to prove anything – just to keep myself alive."

"Fair enough," was Ichigo's only answer. And so the challenge went on. The sun continued to rise in the sky, and then once noon had passed, started to sink down again. There were now grimaces of pain on both Nanao and Gin's faces. Every now and then one of them would grunt in pain and twist around a bit, moving as much as possible within their restrains.

"I don't suppose you'd be willing to just step down," Gin offered at the five hour mark, his trademark smirk growing.

"Hell no," Nanao said.

"Didn't think so," Gin said with an elegant sigh. "Guess I just have to beat you fair and square then."

"Guess so," Nanao said, straightening up to scratch at her scalp. Her eyes widened suddenly. "Oh, shit!" she said, in an uncharacteristic burst of frustration.

"You know what you did then?" Ichigo asked, grimacing.

"I took my hand off the idol," she said, putting a hand to her hand. "Man, that was stupid."

"I won?" Gin asked gleefully.

"You won," Ichigo confirmed, nodding and standing up. "Come on over and get your prize!" Gin stood up –a smirk leering on his face – and hopped off the perch before going over to Ichigo, who put the sword around his shoulders. "For the first – and last – time, Gin wins immunity. Nanao, Soi Fon…for one of the two of you, this game is over. Head on back to camp. I'll see you guys tonight at tribal council."

* * *

There was a strangely serene mood that afternoon when the three of them arrived back at their camp. Gin was grinning from ear to ear, Soi Fon looked pissed but resigned and Nanao looked depressed. Once they'd deposited their shoes down and gone to take their normal spots around the fire, Gin stood up and decided to make an announcement. "I just want to say that I haven't made my decision yet about who I'm taking," he said. "And I am open to all possibilities."

Nanao and Soi Fon shared a little glance at each other before shrugging. It wasn't that surprising really; Gin was going to do whatever he thought would let him win this game. If that was by questioning the two of them to see who came up with the better business proposition, then that was what he was going to do. "So who's up first?" Gin asked, clapping his hands together deviously. Nanao rolled her eyes and stood up, walking away down towards the beach. Gin watched her go, frowning slightly, and then shrugged. "Guess she's last!"

He then sat down on a log. Soi Fon looked over at him, frowning. "Do you expect me to give you some great case about why you should keep me in this game?" she asked. He nodded. "Well, there's not a whole lot to say, Gin. You know how I've played this game, and you know who my enemies are. There's no point in telling you things you already know."

"Fair enough," he allowed.

"So I'm not going to give you a reason to keep me here tonight because I know you're perfectly capable of coming up with one all on your own," she finished. "If you think that your chance of winning is better against me, then I know you'll take me. So do whatever you want."

He nodded and then stood up. "Well, it's been a pleasure doing business with you," he said, smirking. He gave a mocking bow and then strode down the beach to find Nanao while Soi Fon just rolled her eyes at his retreating form.

"Quite honestly, Gin's little 'business proposition' thing was very rude," Soi Fon said. "It was very arrogant and cocky, as if he was saying 'I have all the power here, so if you want to stay here you have to kiss my ass'." She rolled her eyes. "I don't appreciate people coming up to me and telling me that I have to give them a reason to keep me here. When people do that, their mind is already made up. They're just seeing whether or not you're desperate enough to sell someone out. And at this point, I'm not desperate in the slightest. Gin will end up doing whatever is best for him, no holds barred."

"So, Nanao," Gin said, sitting down in the sand next to her. "Wanna tell me why I should vote Soi Fon out instead of you?"

"If it's your plan to have us at each other's throats, Gin, then it's not going to work," Nanao informed him coldly. "We both know that you're just doing this to get on our nerves."

"I am?" he asked, raising his eyebrows.

"Don't play innocent with me," she warned him off. "You're going to do whatever is best for you in this game, Gin. Nothing either of us can say is going to change your mind at this point. We're not idiots; we realized that."

"So you aren't going to say anything?" he asked.

"Do what you're going to do, Gin," she said. "Whatever happens, happens. Que sera, sera."

"Pardon me?" he asked. "What was that?"

"Que sera, sera," she explained, rolling her eyes. "It's a phrase. It means 'whatever will be, whatever will'. Have you never heard that before?" He shook his head. "Honestly, sometimes, I think you must have come from a different planet."

"Me, from another planet?" he asked, chuckling. "I'm not an alien."

"You certainly seem like one to me."

* * *

"I don't know if Gin acts like an idiot in order to make people think he's easy, or what," Nanao said, "but I'll tell you one thing. He's the most conniving person I have ever met. And even more than that, he hides it well enough that most people won't know what's hit them until they're gone. He's a very frustrating person to be around because no one I've ever met really seems to fully understand him. Well, except for Rangiku, but she at least knew him from childhood." She sighed. "Am I expecting to still here tonight after tribal is over?" She shook her head. "No. But knowing Gin…well, stranger things have happened in this game."

* * *

The scene shifted to the tribal council area. Gin, Rangiku and Soi Fon strode into the meeting place and set their torches down before seating themselves. Ichigo was standing there waiting for him, nodding as they entered. "We'll now bring in the members of our jury," he said. "Rukia, Ulquiorra, Shuhei, Renji, Ikkaku and Rangiku, voted out at last tribal council." Each of the jury members filed in as their name was called. Rangiku came in last, wearing a tight pink tank top and a blue denim mini-skirt with silvery shoes. Well, she certainly knew how to steal a spotlight, that was for damn sure.

"So, it's down to the three of you," Ichigo said, smirking, as he took his seat. "You have to be excited that this is almost over."

Soi Fon nodded vehemently. "I cannot wait to get back to my normal life," she admitted. "This has been one of the toughest experiences of my life. I'm tired all the time; I'm practically emaciated; my entire character has been questioned thoroughly." Several members of the jury rolled their eyes at that one. "I'm not saying that I didn't deserve it," she said quickly. "But I think everyone will agree with me that it's hard to be so put on the spot. Seriously, it's felt like I've been put before a firing squad sometimes."

"Well, to be honest, you have done some pretty heartless things," Ichigo said, shrugging. She nodded in agreement. "Do you think that the jury'll put those things behind them and vote for who played the better game?"

"If I make it to the finals?" she asked in clarification.

"If you make it to the finals," the orange-haired host allowed, nodding.

"Well, I honestly don't know," Soi Fon said quietly. "I think that some people on the jury are very calculating and are able to separate their emotions from their judgment. But…I also know that some people over there hate my guts and wouldn't vote for me to win even if there was no other person to vote for." Several jury members laughed at that, even nodding in agreement. "So it's hard to say what they'll do."

"Nanao, do you agree with that?" Ichigo asked.

"Yeah, of course," she said. "We can't possibly know what's going to be going through their heads when they're voting. And we –" she gestured with her hands to indicate the three of them still in the game, "- don't know what's been going on with them since they got voted out. We can't talk to them and they can't talk to us. There's just no way of knowing mentally where they're going to be tomorrow night."

"And then of course so much depends on who the final two is," Ichigo commented. "Gin, you have immunity tonight, and have to make arguably the most important decision in this game. Nervous much?"

"Nervous?" Gin asked, smirking. "I don't get nervous, Ichigo."

"Gin's known what he was going to do since the final four," Nanao said, rolling her eyes. "And to be honest, I don't think that anything either of the two of us could've said would change his mind." Soi Fon nodded in agreement while Gin's smirk only deepened. "Gin is going to do whatever is best for him. Point blank truth. He is going to make the best move for him. I don't think that anything we can say will change that at this point."

"Gin, is that true?" Ichigo asked. "You got your mind made up?"

"Perhaps," Gin said ambiguously.

Ichigo shrugged. "Well then, it is time to vote," he said. "But tonight the voting situation is a bit different. Obviously, Gin's immune; Soi Fon, you can only for Nanao. Nanao, you can only vote for Soi Fon. Those votes cancel each other out. So, Gin, you're gonna be the only person voting tonight. Go cast your vote – for the person who will not be sitting next to you tomorrow night at the final tribal council." Gin nodded and stood up, walking slowly up to the confessional to cast the lone vote. As soon as he was finished, he came back and sat down.

Ichigo went to go and get the lone vote. "Once the vote has been read, the decision is final and the person voted out will be asked to leave the tribal council area immediately," he reminded them. "I'll read the vote now." He opened the lid to the container and pulled out the lone piece of paper. He unfolded it and stared at it for a few moments. "The eighteenth person voted out of Survivor: Soul Reaper Style and the final member of our jury – Nanao."

Nanao nodded and smiled faintly, standing up and retrieving her torch. She walked over to Ichigo and put her torch down before him. "Nanao, the tribe has spoken," he said, extinguishing her flame. "It's time for you to go." She nodded and then gave a small wave to the remaining two contestants before walking out of the area. Ichigo turned back to Gin and Soi Fon. "Well, it's down to you two. But don't rest just yet! Because as of right now all power you had has switched over to the jury." Several of the jury members had smug looks at that statement. "Grab your torches and head on back to camp. Tomorrow is going to be an interesting night."

* * *

Nanao's last words: "I had a feeling this was coming tonight, so I wasn't too disappointed," she admitted. "Soi Fon was the more logical choice for Gin to take, and so he voted me out. I don't have any hard feelings towards him for doing it because I probably would've done the exact same thing." She sighed. "So how does it feel to be the last member of the jury? All I can say is that those two better keep their wits sharp tomorrow night or else they're going to be in serious trouble!"

* * *

Back at the Seikahou camp, Soi Fon and Gin were both in a state of semi-shock. After all, it was obvious that they were the only ones left, but it still felt so strange to be the only two standing. When there had once been twenty people, they were the only ones left. It left them both feeling very accomplished. Soi Fon sighed and walked over to the fire, where she sat down and stared at the flames, a lazy smile on her face.

"It feels so weird," she mused quietly. "I can't believe that we're the final two."

"I can," Gin said, smirking. He walked over and stood on the opposite side of the fire, his eyes flickering from her face to the fire.

"We've been here for over five weeks now," she said, shaking her head in disbelief. "Can you honestly believe that?"

"That's a little harder," he admitted.

"But we're the final two," she breathed. "We're the final two!"

"Saying it twice doesn't make it any more true," he told her, chuckling.

"It doesn't matter," she said. "I'll probably say it a million more times in the next day. I just can't believe that we're the final two!"

His only response was to sigh.

* * *

Soi Fon squealed to the camera very uncharacteristically. "I can't believe it!" she said. "On one hand, I knew that I could make it this far and that I was always fully capable of winning this game. But still, when it's actually down to two people like this…it's surreal. You don't know what quite what to say, or do. It's almost like when you're just kind of dozing off – you can tell that it's not a dream, but everything is still hazy and bit unclear. That's what this feels like."

* * *

The next morning dawned bright and sunny. Gin and Soi Fon both woke up late, feeling that they could afford it at this point. And of course they took their own sweet time getting their brunch ready. After they were finished eating their breakfast, they both went off on their own to collect their thoughts about the impending tribal council that night. It was definitely going to be eventful, and both of them knew that the jury wasn't going to make it easy on them.

Soi Fon had gone down to the beach and was sitting with her legs in the water, letting it lap over her skin soothingly. "Is this game going to end quietly?" she asked the camera quietly. She shook her head. "Of course it's not. I know for a fact that most, if not all, of the members of the jury are mad at me. I'm going to have to work as hard as I possibly can to make sure that I have just a fair fighting chance."

She sighed. "In so many ways, I really want to win this game," she said. "My whole life I've been living in someone else's shadow. At first, I was in the shadow of the Lady Yoruichi. And then she disappeared and completely broke my life. For one hundred years – one hundred long, hard years – I tried to become as strong as possible, so that I could say that I was finally better than her. But then she came back and I discovered that she was still better than me." She shook her head again. "In many ways, I've never been good enough. This was one opportunity I had that Lady Yoruichi will never have, that so many other people won't ever have. I wanted to prove that I could do this.

"But to be honest, I don't know how well I've portrayed myself out here," she admitted. "I wanted to win so badly that I think I didn't care how I affected other people. And that will probably be my downfall if I don't win. I played a brutal game, but it wasn't particularly strong in any one way. Sure, I did pretty well physically and sure, I made alliances. But I went back and broke those alliances almost as fast as I made them. What does that say about me? That I'm about as loyal as a snake? I don't want to be the snake. I didn't come out here to be the snake. I just came out here to prove myself. But I think that in the process of doing that, I got so wrapped up in making sure that I won. I guess that I just forgot that winning isn't always the most important thing. Sure, winning is nice and everything, but I think that I would have much rather left this game with my integrity intact."

She shook her head bitterly. "I can't do that anymore."

The camera then shifted to find Gin, who was sitting out on the rocks where he'd first made his alliance with Rangiku and changed his fate in this game. "This is where it all started for me," he said in a surprisingly sincere voice. "This is where Rangiku agreed to keep me in this game. And if it wasn't for her, I wouldn't be here. Of course I know that. Never denied it, did I?

"Anyways, this game has definitely changed me," he continued. "How has it changed me? Well, I don't know, but I do know that I'm not the same old Gin Ichimaru anymore. Perhaps I'll appreciate things more when I get back to the Seireitei. Or maybe I won't change at all. But the things that have happened out here…I can't forget them, and I won't. My memory is rather good, if I do say so myself. Of course there are some people that I could do without." He smirked.

"So am I worried about tonight?" he asked. "Not at all. Does that make me cocky or arrogant? Of course it does. And you can say whatever you want, but I am pretty sure how things will turn out tonight. If I'm wrong? Then I'm wrong and I'll be the butt of many unfortunate jokes. What was it that Nanao said the other day? Kay sarah sarah?" He shrugged. "Whatever. I'll go with that."

* * *

The scene shifted one last time to the final tribal council. Soi Fon and Gin walked in quietly with their torches and their bags, and sat down on their little perches. Ichigo, who was standing at the side in a black button down and a pair of cargo shorts nodded at them. "We'll now introduce the members of your final jury – Rukia, Ulquiorra, Shuhei, Renji, Ikkaku, Rangiku and Nanao, voted out at the last tribal council." Everyone walked in as their name was called, wearing their finest and looking their brightest. They sat down on their stone risers and then Ichigo took his seat as well.

"So, you guys have made it a full thirty-nine days out here," he commented, grinning. "Which is more than anyone else can say. And things are a little different tonight. What's at stake? I'm sure you both know that. But this is your last chance to convince these people," he pointed to the jury, "that you deserve to win over the person sitting next to you. So, to start things off, you're each gonna get a chance to make an opening statement to the jury. Gin, you first."

Gin sighed and clapped his hands together. "Well, hello," he drawled, his smirk only growing. The jury fixed their eyes on him, watching him intently. "I have to say, I do rather like this seat." He looked down. "But it's just an ordinary tree stump. Maybe I'll have to get one made for me when I get back to my office." There were chuckles at that, as well as some people just rolling their eyes and smiling fondly. "I don't really have much to say, other than I know you'll do what you think is best."

Soi Fon then started. "Well, I think I'll start off with saying that I realize that many of you probably have little to no respect for me anymore," she said quietly. "And to be honest, I can't blame you. Looking back on how I've played this game, I don't think I'm very happy with myself. But…it did get me to where I am today, and I can't change anything that I did. So I'm not going to apologize for making it this far. However, I will apologize to those of whose feelings I hurt or who I betrayed. Other than that, I just ask that you try to be as fair as possible in your questions."

Ichigo nodded. "Alright then, you've made your opening statements," he said. "Now the jury will, one at a time, come forward and be allowed to ask you both a question or give a statement. Answer as honestly as possible because your entire life in this game could depend on it. Nanao, you're first."

Nanao nodded and stood up, walking over to stand directly across from the final two. She looked quite handsome in a black pencil skirt and a navy blue turtleneck sweater. She pushed her glasses up absently. "Well, I think that first of all I have to say congratulations to both of you for making it this far," she said. "But to be honest, I didn't expect either of you to be the final two. Having said that, I don't think that I'm as angry as some of the other jury members are, so I'm going to give you a simple question. Are you happy with the way you played this game?"

Ichigo pointed to Soi Fon first, so she answered the question first. "Am I happy with the way I played this game?" she asked herself. "No, I don't think so. Had I been allowed to do this all over again, I would've placed my integrity first."

It was Gin's turn now. "I am perfectly content with the way I played this game," he said. Nanao nodded and then turned back to go sit down.

"Rukia," Ichigo said. "Your turn next."

Rukia nodded and stood up. She was wearing a light blue sundress – as usual – but the light make-up that she had on her face made all the difference in the world. "Hello you two," she said. "It's been a while since I've said anything to either of you. Well, to Gin at least. Soi Fon…you never really talked to me that much. So my question goes to you, because I don't think I know you well enough to judge how you played this game. Do you think you deserve to win, and if you do, why?"

Soi Fon sighed. "I think I deserve to win," she said. "I don't think I necessarily played the best game out of anybody here. But I played hard, and I played to win." Rukia nodded in understanding. "I may not have been the nicest person, or the best. But I never stopped playing this game, and I tried as hard as I could to make sure that I was in the best position for me."

"Fair enough," Rukia said. She then returned to her seat.

"Renji," Ichigo called.

The red-head stepped forward, the chains hanging off his pants clinking together as he walked. "So, it's down to you two," he said. "To be honest, I don't wanna vote for either of ya, but I gotta do somethin'. First of all, though, I gotta say a few things. Gin – ya did nothin' in this game 'cept let people take ya along for the ride. If it wasn't for half the people on this jury, you'd a been gone a long time ago. So that makes me think a bit. How did ya convince people to keep ya? Ya sure as hell didn't do shit around camp. An' then one night, as I was tryin' to get to sleep, it hit me. You have freakin' mastered the art of manipulation.

"Not only did ya master it, ya rewrote all the fuckin' rules 'bout it. You have mastered the art of ass-kissin' an' ego-strokin' an' taken it to a level where you're so good no one even knows you're doin' it. Soi Fon. You betrayed me, ya lied to my face, ya threw away our friendship – which I thought we'd honestly developed – for a group of people that didn't give a rat's ass 'bout ya. So tell me, both of ya, why the hell should I vote for ya to win this game?" He crossed his arms over his chest and waited patiently.

Gin went first this time. "I have to say, Renji, that's quite a compliment," he said. "It implies that I was so smart that no one figured out what I was doing until they'd been voted out. But isn't that what got me here instead of you? I didn't let people take me along. I used people until they were of no further use to me. Of course that's manipulation – but that's also how this game works. So why should you vote for me? Well, I used a strategy that works and it got me here. You don't have to agree with it, but it worked, which is more than I can say for your own strategy."

"Fair enough," Renji said grudgingly.

Soi Fon sighed. "Renji, I…I don't quite know what to say," she said. "You have every reason to be mad at me and every reason to not want to vote for me. But you have to believe me when I say that I didn't do any of those things with the intention of throwing away your friendship. I wanted to win so badly that I lost track of how I was making other people feel. I was completely ruthless, and that's what got me here today. I know that might not be the answer you want, but I did make it this far."

He shrugged and went back to his seat. "Ulquiorra," Ichigo said.

The pale man stood and walked over to stand across from Gin and Soi Fon. "This game is very unique in that it is designed to bring out who we are as people at the core of our being," he said. "Who you are in this game, where you are fighting for survival in every sense of the word, is who you are at your deepest level. I understand that you may not like who you are at that level, but it is you nonetheless. So, my question to you is this – having learned what you have about yourself from this game, what are you going to do about it when you get back to the Seireitei?"

"Well, Ulquiorra," Soi Fon said. "I think most people know that I don't like who I became in this game. So when I get back, I'm definitely going to have to rethink who I am. I'm going to need all the help that I can get, and I will definitely be trying to improve my character, as well as trying to mend the friendships I broke out here. Will it work? I don't know. I can only do so much before I need people to reciprocate. But…I've definitely got my work cut out for me."

"To be honest," Gin stated, "I don't think I really ever changed that much in coming out here. I know who I am, and I didn't change for anyone. So I don't think that anything will really change when I get back."

"Very well," Ulquiorra said, returning to his seat.

"Rangiku," Ichigo said, acknowledging the next jury member.

The woman in question bounced up and walked over. She was wearing a bright, shimmering pink mini-dress and she looked absolutely stunning in her make-up. Half the eyes on the jury followed her ass to where she stood. "Well, you two, it's been an interesting thirty-nine days," she said, crossing her arms over her chest to the point that her assets were about to pop out. "There have been some ups and some downs, some things I never want to forget and some things I can't wait to forget. So what I want to know from each of you is the reason why you voted me out. I can't help it; I'm a bit self-centered. I wanna know why you got rid of me, just for peace of mind."

Gin went first. "Well, Rangiku, I voted you out because I knew that all of the final four, you were the person I had the least chance of beating," he said simply.

Soi Fon's answer was a bit lengthier. "Rangiku, in the last few days we were together at camp, it was pretty obvious that neither of us liked the other. You and I are just not two people who would ever get along, even outside this game. We're polar opposites. You insulted me, attacked my character – which, granted, wasn't very good in this game – and made me feel like one of my friends had betrayed me. You not only hated me, you pretended to be my friend until it didn't matter anymore. You threw me away the same way that I threw them away." She pointed to Shuhei and Renji. "It doesn't feel good and I know that I got what I deserved. After I betrayed them, they voted for me. So you betrayed me and I voted for you."

"Interesting," Rangiku said before returning to her seat.

Shuhei was next. He was wearing all black and had a very solemn expression on his face. "Well, I would say I'm happy for ya to the both of ya, but then I'd be lyin'," he said. "Gin, I didn't know ya much in this game, so I can't really judge ya. Soi Fon, though…ya blindsided me. Ya blindsided me, backstabbed me, an' threw away what I thought was a good friendship. So tell me this, Soi Fon – do ya think I'm an idiot? Do ya honestly think that after this game is over, we'll be able to just go back to bein' friends an' forget it ever happened? Bullshit.

"I understand that ya wanted to win this," he continued. "We all did, an' I get that ya had a lot to prove. But that doesn't give you the right to go 'round an' trample on people's feelin's. I saw the way ya played this game, but that doesn't mean I gotta respect it. Cause I sure as hell don't. Will we ever be friends again? God, I dunno. But you're gonna hafta prove to me that ya can be nice, an' that you're not just a giant bitch. So I'm gonna give ya a chance to redeem yourself. But just to make it clear that I don't approve of the way you're playin' this game, I will not be votin' for you tonight."

Soi Fon nodded slowly, and he returned to his seat. Ikkaku, who was the only remaining member of the jury, stood up then and walked over. He clapped his hands together and smirked. "Well, you two," he said. "It's been nice to play this game with ya. Well, when ya weren't backstabbin' or bein' asses. But wait…ya backstabbed people all the time…an' Gin, well you were always an ass. So who do I vote for tonight? Black Widow over here or Jackass? I dunno what I'm gonna do. So you two are gonna do it yourselves. I'm thinkin' of a number between one an' one hundred. …'Kay, I got it. Now, you two pick numbers. Whoever's closest to my number wins."

"Fifty," Gin said.

"Seventy-two," Soi Fon said.

"Thank ya very much," Ikkaku said, mock-bowing before returning to his seat.

Ichigo stood up then. "Well, you've now been put through your last trial by the jury," he said. "You get one last closing statement and then we'll let them vote. Soi Fon, you go first this time."

Soi Fon nodded. "Well, to be honest you all, I'm glad that you guys didn't make this easy on me," she said. "I don't like the way that I played this game and I realize that I hurt you all. I wouldn't come out and play this game again given the opportunity because I hated the person I became out here. Still, I had a lot of fun at times playing with you guys and I have to thank you for that."

It was now Gin's turn. "Well," he said. "It has been fun and I won't ever forget it."

Ichigo then turned to the jury. "Well, it's now time to vote," he said. "It takes four votes to win this game. I'll make it clear, tonight you are voting _for _a winner. You're gonna write down the name of the person you want to win. Nanao, you're first." One by one, the members of the jury walked up to the confessional, said their piece and then came back down. Some looked smug, others resigned, but all looked to be glad that this game was finally over.

After all the votes had been cast, the host went up and grabbed the container, bringing it back down to the tribal council. "Well, I gotta thank you guys for a great game," he said. "Never woulda thought that Soul Reapers could play Survivor like this, but I gotta hand it to you – you know how to play a game and make it interesting. But of course, you know I can't just read these here." He patted the container full of votes. "We're gonna have to wait until this is aired in the Soul Society before that happens." He saluted them all then and walked out of the area, the container under his arm. "'Til next time."

And so ended Soul Reaper Survivor.

* * *

Haha, I'm sorry that I had to end it there. But they never reveal the winner until the reunion!! Basic Survivor stuff. Anyways, like I said before, there's only one more chapter after this and it will be the reunion, where the winner is revealed. And again, I'm sorry for the delay. The next one should be out soon, I promise. Otherwise, you have full permission to beat me.

Wanna leave a review? Lol, even if it's just to tell me how much you hated that I left it off right there?


	26. Reunion

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Bleach or Survivor. I just stuck the two of them together.

**Rating: **T

**A/N: **Well, this is it!! It's the end of this series. And I have to say, it's been fun, though I am happy that it's over. But I have to say, I know that about half of you aren't going to be happy with who wins this. I understand that because that's the way it always is with Survivor. You can hate me all you want for it, but ultimately this is my story and the winner was picked a long time before the game was actually finished. If you feel the need to flame me and say how much you hate me for making the winner who I picked, go right ahead - flames don't bother me, mainly because I don't pay attention to them. But even if you're disappointed with who won...at least consider the entire story and don't judge whether it was good or not based on who won. I mean, hey, my favorite character didn't win either. That being said...thanks you guys one more time for the reviews and the faves and just plain reading this story. I wouldn't have ever finished this if it wasn't for you guys.

* * *

**Soul Reaper Survivor  
Reunion**

"Well, it's been about three months since we marooned a motley group of Soul Reapers in the middle of an island in the South Rukon Sea," Ichigo said, suddenly walking out onto the stage of the outdoor amphitheatre that had been specially constructed just for this live reunion show. His voice was amplified by some strange technological device that was similar to a microphone. "And I know you've all been dying to know who the winner is. I've got the votes right here." He held up the container that was underneath his arm. "And we'll get to that in a minute. But first, I gotta give this cast props for making such a great season!"

The audience burst into loud cheers and peals of applause as the twenty contestants were displayed on the wooden bleachers on the stage, all wearing human finery and looking stunning. Gin and Soi Fon were separated from the rest a bit, sitting on their own row near the bottom. They both looked slightly nervous, but were both smiling. Ichigo walked over to the reconstructed plaftform from tribal council, where he set the vote container down. He opened his mouth to say something, but the crowd wasn't having any of it. So he let them have their way for a couple more minutes.

"Alright, alright," he said, waving his hands for the audience to calm down. He scowled when they made no move to quiet down. "ALRIGHT!" he yelled. The noise slowly died down to a low roar. "Geez, people. You'd think you didn't wanna hear this vote or something!" He looked over to the two finalists. "Well, I know you two are dying to know who wins. So, you wanna get to it?" Gin and Soi Fon both nodded eagerly, their hands fisted eagerly in their laps.

Ichigo snickered and drew the lid off the container. He pulled out the first vote and then turned it around. "First vote – Soi Fon," he said. Cheers went up in the audience from all of the woman's loyal supporters. He set the vote down carefully and then pulled out the second vote. "Next vote – Gin." A different set of fans cheered in response to that. Meanwhile, Ichigo pulled out the third slip of paper. "Soi Fon."

The cheers were louder this time, now that she had pulled ahead over Gin. "Next vote – Gin," Ichigo said, revealing the fourth slip of paper. He pulled out the fifth piece of paper and turned it around. "Soi Fon." Now she had three votes, and it only took four to win! Ichigo pulled out the sixth slip of paper and turned it around. "Gin." He set the paper down and put both his hands on the side of the container. "Well, it's down to this. Three votes Gin, three votes Soi Fon. The next vote decides who will win this game. Ready to find out who it is?"

As if the two finalists' nods weren't enough, the crowd broke out into squeals and screams of excitement as Ichigo reached down and pulled out the final vote. He opened it up and looked at it for a moment. "The winner of Survivor: Soul Reaper Style is," he said, folding the paper closed again and then turning it around. Slowly – who knew that Ichigo had a touch for the dramatic? – he opened the paper to reveal the name. "Gin."

And the crowd went wild. People jumped up and started dancing with each other, screaming out their excitement and pleasure. But some people weren't so happy and just clapped politely out of respect. And then there were others who were booing and hissing at the stage, and getting their things and preparing to leave, so upset were they. Soi Fon and Gin had both stood up and had hugged and then moved up to the others, sitting down in their respective spots on the bleachers.

After a few more moments of pandemonium, Ichigo took a seat near the bleachers. "So, this is our reunion special, during which we'll have a nice chat with Gin, the winner of Soul Reaper Survivor, and talk to all the rest of the contestants about what's happened since they got back," he said, taking out a little stack of cards from his jacket pocket. He held them up to the audience with a shrug. "Stupid Quincy said I'd forget what to mention." He snorted and shook his head; the audience laughed at that.

"So, let's get on with it then!" Ichigo continued. "Gin, first and foremost, I gotta give ya props. Congrats on winning this thing."

"Thank you, Ichigo," Gin said, his trademark smirk even more prominent than usual.

"So, are you surprised at all?"

"Yes, and no," the Captain responded. "In some ways, I had a feeling that I was going to win, just based on the fact that Soi Fon pissed so many people off." Some of the jury members chuckled at that – namely Shuhei, Renji and Ikkaku. "But in other ways, I thought, 'well, she was a good game player, so maybe they'll see that and vote for her'. So I really didn't know what to expect tonight."

"Which brings us to Soi Fon," Ichigo said. "Disappointed that you didn't win?"

"Well, of course you're disappointed when you lose," Soi Fon said. She looked absolutely stunning in a shimmering yellow dress with a plunging neckline and ruches on the sides. "But I'm not angry, or upset. This game taught me a lot about myself, and I've definitely done some soul-searching since I got back. I think that learning something you had forgotten or didn't know about yourself is a much bigger prize than a pass to a resort any day. And actually I'm kind of glad that I lost just so that I could have it drilled into me yet again that I did some horrible things out there." There were cheers at that from the audience.

"Alright, alright," Ichigo said, waving his arms for the audience to quiet down. "So, show of hands, which audience members voted for Soi Fon?" Rangiku, Ikkaku and Nanao raised their hands. Ichigo's eyebrows raised. "Well, well, that was unexpected. First of all, Ikkaku, I'm guessing that Soi Fon won the number game?"

"Yep," the bald man replied, grinning. "Number was ninety-six. She was closer."

"Fair enough," Ichigo said. "But what surprises me more than that is Rangiku – you voted for Soi Fon? Even after all the hatred you two had towards each other? Come on, you gotta tell me what the hell is going on here!"

Rangiku laughed. She looked positively model-esque in her tight lime green dress. She even had little matching barrettes in her hair, holding back her voluminous bangs. "Well, Ichigo, she beat me," she said. "I asked her a question, totally expecting her to just go wild and say how she couldn't stand me, and how much she hated me. But instead, she totally won me over! She gave me a good answer and a really good reason for why she got rid of me! Plus, you know, Gin totally backstabbed me." The audience laughed at that, since it was obvious she was just making fun now.

"And so it gets back to that," Ichigo said. "Gin…you frickin' betrayed the girl who saved your ass! What's up with that?"

"I had to do that, Ichigo," Gin said. "Otherwise Rangiku would've won. She had it set up all nicely. And in case you hadn't noticed, she was the real mastermind behind this entire season. I tell you what, these women are vicious!" There were roars of laughter at that. "Rukia, Soi Fon, Rangiku…we men were lucky just to survive out there without getting castrated!"

Snickering, Ichigo turned to Soi Fon. "He does have a point, you know," he said. Soi Fon nodded, a big smile on her face. After the laughter died down, Ichigo turned to a new victim. "Shuhei," he said; the audience already began to murmur at the mere name. "That was quite a little speech you gave back at the last tribal. Care to tell us all what's happened since then with you and Soi Fon?"

"Sure," Shuhei said. "Well, after this game was over, we got back, an' we kinda didn't talk for a while. Ya know, lettin' things simmer down a bit. An' then, after 'bout two weeks, she comes to my door an' asks if we can talk." He paused, and then continued. "So, we went out an' talked at this little restaurant. To be honest, I wasn't sure what to expect, but she was full-on apologizin' an' explainin' all this stuff to me. An' now, we're friends again, simple as that. I've forgiven her. Over an' done with now. Water under the freakin' bridge." He nodded to the cheers that broke out from the audience.

"Good for you," Ichigo said, nodding. "So then, it's only fair to ask the other people in your old alliance. Renji, Ikkaku?"

Ikkaku shrugged. "Eh, I was never really mad at her," he said. "I was a bit upset at first, but, hey, she didn't betray me like she did Renji an' Shuhei. An' besides, I won the freakin' motorcycle, so I think I got pretty well compensated for not winnin'."

"How do you like that baby?" Ichigo asked, smirking. "She nice?"

"Hell yes, Ichigo!" Ikkaku said, clapping his hands together once for emphasis. "She's the baddest thing in the whole damn Seireitei!"

It was now Renji's turn to speak his peace. "Well, like Shuhei, Soi Fon came over to me after she'd had some time to think 'bout what she'd done," he said. "An' we basically did the same thing, went out an' talked over lunch. An' yeah, I've forgiven her."

"Well, it's nice to know all's well and good again," Ichigo said, nodding. "So moving on from that topic. Relationships." The audience hummed with excitement. "So we all saw Rangiku and Shuhei flirting shamelessly out there. And we've all wanted to know whether or not their relationship is still standing or whether he 'dumped' her after she voted his ass off. So, you two, what's the verdict?"

Rangiku and Shuhei turned to look towards each other and smiled; Rangiku broke out into giggles while Shuhei just chuckled a bit. "Are we together, Rangiku?" Shuhei asked playfully.

"I don't know, Shuhei, are we?" Rangiku asked, equally as playfully. She turned to Ichigo then. "Yes, Ichigo, we're together." There were loud cheers at that. Rangiku waved to the audience happily, blowing them kisses. Man, she was such a ham.

"So what happened with you two when you got back from the island?" Ichigo asked. "Did you just start dating or something?"

"Well…" Rangiku said, trying to find the right words. "Not immediately."

"How long did it take you two to finally hook up?"

"C'mon, Ichigo, look what she did to me!" Shuhei cried out teasingly. The audience chuckled at the obviously playful expression on his face. "Had to give her some doubt, just to fuck with her! An' I did not mean that in _that _way, bloody perverts!" He let the audience have their laughs with that one. "But no, in all honesty, I just had to think a bit 'bout what I wanted to do 'bout the whole situation. So we've been back together for 'bout a month an' a half now."

"But that doesn't include our time out there on that island!" Rangiku reminded everyone. "So, altogether, we've been 'dating' I guess for two months."

"Thanks for the clarification," Ichigo said, snorting. "Moving on, then. This season was full of arguments, debates and freakin' verbal brawls. So let's get back to some of those people. Okay then, first we gotta start with Grimmjow and Kukaku." The audience laughed nervously. "What's the status, you two?"

Grimmjow shrugged. "She ain't gettin' no Christmas card from me," he said. The audience roared in laughter at that, apparently at his lackadaisical attitude towards the whole affair.

Kukaku was smiling too, though. She looked nice in a tight black dress with sparking rubies around her neck and in her ears. "No, Ichigo, I don't think Grimmjow and I will ever be good friends," she said. "But we have worked it out to where we're at least civil with each other."

"Well, that's good," Ichigo said, relieved. "You two had some pretty intense moments out there!"

"Yeah, well," Grimmjow said. "We hated each other. What the fuck did ya expect?"

"So that relationship is at least back to the civil stage," Ichigo summed on, looking down on his card for the next example. "And we've already cleared up the Shuhei, Renji and Ikkaku against Soi Fon thing. Lisa, Nemu, any hard feelings towards Rukia for betraying you like that?"

Lisa shook her head. "To be honest, Ichigo, she got me, and she got me good," the bespectacled Vaizard said. "I don't have anything to say other than that she played me completely. I totally got sacked on that one. No hard feelings at all."

"Nemu, how about you?"

"I could not really have hard feelings for Rukia because in the end, after I had analyzed everything, I came up with the same logical conclusions as her," Nemu said mechanically. "What she did was good for her and her core alliance. I cannot fault someone for just trying to get themselves further along in this game."

"Fair enough," Ichigo said. "And speaking of betrayals…Yumichika, how did you feel when you got backstabbed like that?"

"Oh, Ichigo, it was horrible!" Yumichika said. The audience laughed and then cheered a bit, which he eagerly ate up. "Well, when I first left, I had no idea why I got voted off, so I was a bit confused and quite hurt by it. But then, as more and more people were voted off and I got a chance to see why I was booted off, I stopped being mad at everyone and got mad at Rangiku!" The audience chuckled. "She took my spot!"

"Sorry, Yumichika!" Rangiku said over the crowd's laughter. "Couldn't just let you have the limelight all the time!"

A few moments later, Ichigo took the discussion in a new direction again. "So now that we've covered betrayals and arguments and couples, let's move on to your actual time out on the island," he said. "Nanao, what was the hardest part of being out there? And I have to say – by the end of your time out there, you were pretty thin."

"Are you kidding me?" Nanao asked in a completely flat tone. "I was emaciated! When I got back to the Seireitei, I only weighed ninety-five pounds! I was skin and bones! But anyways, I think that the hardest part of the time out there would definitely have to be the hardships. You're physically exhausted, there's almost no food, you have to work so hard for what little comfort you have and there's absolutely no connection with any of your friends. And during that time, you're trying to oust each other and beat everyone else at a game! It's brutal!"

Soi Fon spoke up now. "In many ways, Ichigo, this is like max-politics," she said. A few of the other former contestants nodded in agreement. "This game is so political that it's ridiculous. And on top of that, you're trying to survive in a primitive environment. It's not fun."

"Then why sign up to do something like this?" Ichigo asked. "Why torture yourselves for almost two months?"

"The prize," Gin said simply. "That's the only reason I did it."

"Yeah, but there's more to this game than just the prize," Rukia said, speaking up the first time that night. "To a lot of us, we just wanted to prove that we could do this. That we stood out enough just to get picked, that we could survive out there, that we could last longer than a lot of strong people did. I think that was especially true with us girls." A couple of the women nodded.

"It's a rite of passage in some ways," Ulquiorra said quietly. As soon as he spoke up, the crowd went wild. Apparently, he was one of the more popular players this season. He waited for them to quiet down – which took a good several minutes – before speaking again. "It's a challenge that we would not normally see – can I survive, can I beat the competition while pushing myself to my physical limits? It is not an easy task, and it is much harder than people would think if they saw this being broadcast somewhere."

"I totally agree," Renji piped up. "When I first saw this show back at your house, I thought, 'that'll be the easier thing ever!' But it's not. It's really fuckin' not. This game is hardcore. It is a frickin' rite of passage, an' the strongest damn rite I've ever taken!" The audience chuckled at the awed and respectful expression on Renji's face.

"So on a scale of one to ten – one being the easiest and ten being hardest – how does this game rank?" Ichigo asked.

"Fifteen point one two eight," Nemu piped up. Everyone blinked at her for a moment and then burst out laughing. She looked around, clearly bewildered. "What is it?" she asked in a confused tone of voice. "Did I say something?"

"It's nothing, Nemu," Ichigo said, still snickering. "But any other opinions?"

"I think I would agree with Nemu!" Rangiku said, raising her hand and flourishing it in Nemu's direction. "This game may have a really big prize, but otherwise it sucks!" The audience laughed at that.

"Yeah," Shinji said. "I got taken outta th' game by a freakin' sundae." He made a rueful face while the audience snickered.

"Well, it was your decision to jump off and eat the freakin' sundae," Ichigo reminded him.

"So?" Shinji asked belligerently.

"So on the matter, your point is denied," Ichigo said. "Moving on! So, Stark, you were removed from the game after about ten days due to a medical issue. What's the news on that?"

"Actually, it's completely healed," Stark said, slapping a hand on his knee. "Almost as soon as I left the game, I was taken back here and put in a ward where the lovely Isane Kotetsu healed me right up. And I'm doing quite nicely. So much thanks to her!" He clapped in appreciation, a gesture which was picked up by the rest of the audience. The silver-haired lieutenant – who was sitting in the front row of the auditorium – blushed scarlet and put her hands over her face in embarrassment.

"Good to know," Ichigo said. "Well, then, on to the final matter of the night – the prize. Gin, your prize is gonna be given to you tomorrow morning after we finalize all the paperwork and make the card out in your name. However, during the time while we were showing this, we have been taking a popularity poll. The winner of that will receive a prize – smaller than the big prize, of course – to take home with them tonight. But tonight, we've got an interesting situation. Because the winner of the popularity poll was Gin."

The crowd roared into life here, standing up and clapping here at their pleasure. Gin, on the other hand, looked pleasantly surprised. "So, Gin, you can either choose to keep the prize, or give it to one of your fellow contestants," Ichigo continued. All the other contestants perked up at that. "So, what're you gonna do?"

Gin thought about it for a moment, ignoring the calls from the audience to give it to such-and-such. He sighed and put a finger to his chin, apparently in deep thinking mode. After a few moments, he sat up straight and cleared his throat. "Well, after much thought and deliberation, I think that I am going to give away the prize," he said.

"To who?" Ichigo asked, blinking.

"To the man who sacrificed himself so that I could win," Gin said, smirking.

"And who would that be?" Ichigo asked when Gin made no further motion of talking.

"Ulquiorra," Gin replied.

The crowd went wild once again, thrilled that the two most popular contestants were the two who eventually went home with the prizes. "Well, then, congrats to you, Ulquiorra," Ichigo said when the noise had died down. He stood up. "Well, that's our program for tonight, folks! Thanks again to all of these guys for a fantastic season and a great finale! They kept it sharp and didn't let us lose interest for a minute! So this is Ichigo Kurosaki, signing off one last time. Good night."

* * *

Well, that's the end. What else can I say? It was fun, though somewhat trying towards the end. And I know that not everyone will be happy with the result, but I'm okay with that. I knew that when I starting writing this. I mean, come on, you can't be the good guy all the time!!

Also, if you didn't watch it last night, the new season of real Survivor came on last night!! If you wanna watch it you can go watch the video on CBS's website. But make you have some time - it was two hours on TV, so maybe one hour and forty minutes of solid Survivor.

Thanks again for everything!!


End file.
